Jasper Shepard's Divorce
by madame.alexandra
Summary: The elusive Kimberly returns unexpectedly and wreaks havoc on Jasper and Jenny; the two resolve some long-held issues, and Gibbs gets to put to rest his curiosity about the vilified "mother" Shepard. ACD 'verse! Katharyn Anna included.
1. Prologue

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* * *

**Prologue**

_Belle Meade, Tennessee_  
_1996_

* * *

In a strange room, in a strange house, in a strange city, a little girl lay in the dark staring at the ceiling with concentration. Her daddy had always told her eyes adjust in the dark, so she knew she just had to wait a little while until she could see better – she was supposed to be sleeping, like Grandmother Abigail said, but she couldn't.

The bed was too big, and it had a huge, fancy canopy. It looked like a fairytale princess's bed, but it _felt_ like sleeping in the fairytale villain's bed, because she hadn't ever slept here before, and it was all so frilly and pink and sparkly – not like her small bed at home.

She missed _that_ bed. She missed Daddy, too, because she didn't think he would have made her leave her day time summer camp to drive a million miles away from home – well, it was twelve hours in grown-up time, but it felt like one million miles to a six-year-old.

Jenny Shepard sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes hard, widening them – there, now she could see! She could see a shadowy, extravagant dollhouse, and frilly curtains, and a fancy chair, and all kinds of things – Grandmother Abigail had said this was Jenny's Mother's old room. Jenny wondered where Mommy was going to sleep if her bed was taken.

She frowned a moment – she wasn't sure if she was supposed to call Mommy – _Mommy_ anymore. Her mother had been frustrated and sharp and mean in the car, and when she bought Jenny a Happy Meal she said –

"_Do you have to call me that?" _

-in a wary voice when Jenny had said '_thank you, Mommy_.'

She didn't know what else to call her, though. Her name was Kimberly, but kids weren't supposed to call their parents by their real person names. It would be silly if she called her dad _Jasper_ – and Dad called Kimberly 'Kimmy,' but Jenny definitely didn't want to say _that_.

She sighed and looked around – there weren't any stuffed animals, and Mommy hadn't packed her favorite one, the Panda Daddy had brought back from his last deployment. She narrowed her eyes, pouting to herself – Daddy _never_ would have forgotten Peeps the Panda.

She decided she wanted a glass of water. She hoped Grandmother Abigail was up, or Grandfather – they would be nice to her and maybe give her a hug or a cookie with the water. Mommy would just be annoyed, and Jenny didn't like to annoy her – but her mother was always irritated, so Jenny just tried to be quiet and stay away from her.

It was _much_ harder when Daddy was deployed.

The six-year-old hopped out of bed, smiling a little at the big drop and wiggling her bare feet in the plush carpet. She shivered, and darted towards the door, opening it a crack. She blinked in the harsh hallway light, and tiptoed towards the stairs. She got a few steps down, listening sneakily, when she heard voices.

"—_out of the question!"_

"_I'm not _asking_, Mother,"_ snapped a tight, brittle voice. _"I'm telling you what I'm doing – "_

That was definitely Mommy – she always sounded like that, unless she was with her friends or in a rare good mood around her daughter. Jenny sat down on the steps, waiting – she wanted to hear Mommy go away before she found her grandmother.

Her grandfather chimed in –

"_Kimberly, you're upset – you're stressed, stop talking nonsense – "_

"_It's not nonsense, and I am upset! I am stressed! I didn't want this!"_

"_You certainly made no responsible efforts to prevent it," snapped Grandmother in a terrible hiss. "You have a duty. You have a daughter, and she needs you –"_

"_Why are you trying to make me stay?"_ sneered Mommy. _"You constantly tell me what a shit mother I am; both of you prefer Jasper to me – and she'd be better off without me – she drives me insane, she always wants something – "_

"_She's a child, she needs to be cared for! She needs – "_

"_Jasper can do it. _Jasper's_ the one who didn't want to – "_

"_Kimberly Bernadette Shepard, you will not utter another word of that sentence!"_

There was some huffy silence, and Jenny hugged herself, sucking in her breath. She felt very small – smaller than she was, and she wanted to run away, but she was afraid they would hear her. She didn't want them to know she was there, either – Mommy – _Kim-ber-ly_ – would just get twice as mad if she knew.

"_I'm _barely_ twenty-five – I don't want the rest of my life to be – "_

"_Jennifer is your life," _Grandmother snapped boldly._ "Twenty-five is not at all that terrible young - women used to have babies at your age-"_

"_I don't even like the name Jennifer!" _Kimberly shouted._ "And - they started when they were twenty-five; my kid's fucking six!"_

"_You sound like nothing more than a spoiled child, you, a grown woman with a young daughter – "_

"_I can't do it,"_ Mommy said, loud and sharp, like always._ "I don't want to, and I can't. Jasper is the only one who might stop me, and he's not here," she said nastily. "He's always off; he leaves me alone with her, and I have to do all the work – " _

"_For God's sake, Kimberly, he's deployed! The man is in a war zone – "_

"_He could have quit the military for me!"_ Kimberly whined.

Jenny put her hands near her ears, still waiting for it to stop. She hoped they'd stop yelling soon – she knew, she always had a bad feeling in her stomach, she knew that Mommy didn't like her very much, and she knew Daddy was better at taking care of her, but she was still scared.

What if Mommy gave her away to a different family and she never saw her dad again?

"_I won't be here in the morning,"_ Mommy growled stubbornly. _"You can't stop me – I'll sign my rights over, but I'm gone – just take her, okay, Mother? Dad? You can have a do-over, maybe she'll turn out better!"_

"_Don't do this,"_ Grandfather said tiredly. _"You can get a divorce, Kim, you can hand over custody, but don't run out of her life – "_

"_I don't want to be in her life!"_

Jenny got up quickly and took a huge, deep breath, deciding to come down the stairs. It had gotten to another quiet moment, and she hopped down them, turning a corner and running into Grandfather's legs.

He turned, startled. Grandmother made a gasping noise and – Mommy groaned. She sounded as annoyed as always.

Jenny clutched at her shirt and sidled up to her grandfather, putting her head against his knee.

"Can I have a cup of water?" she asked politely, keeping her voice soft. She winced a little, rubbing her head. "I don't feel good," she added.

She had a hollow, mean feeling in her stomach. It didn't feel sick-bad, but it didn't feel good.

The next thing she knew, her grandmother was turning away with her mouth covered, and Grandfather was sweeping Jenny up into strong arms, smiling at her as if everything was well, and nodding.

He turned, and Jenny shifted, turning her head. She looked at her mother – they had the same colour eyes, and Jenny smiled at her a little, her eyes wide.

"Are we going back to Georgetown?" she asked hopefully.

Her mother rubbed her forehead, staring at Jenny. She looked away, and then pulled at her hair – it was a bright red now, dyed, and cut shorter – _edgy,_ she'd heard her mother call it. She had dyed it in a bathroom sink in the Georgetown house after Daddy left, while she and her friend smoked something smelly.

She came forward and patted Jenny's arm awkwardly.

"You're going to stay here," she said, with almost no effort at sweetness or obfuscation. "You stay with Grammy. Mommy needs a break from you," she said softly – and her teeth were set funny, so it sounded tight, and forced.

Grandmother grabbed Mommy – no, _Kimberly_. It was probably good to call her Kimberly. She didn't like being Mommy. Grandmother grabbed Kimberly hard and shoved her back, her face dark.

"_What did you just say to that precious child you insolent, filthy – "_

Grandfather whisked Jenny away before she heard any bad words. He got her a cup of water – and a cookie! – and took her upstairs. He tucked her into bed and sat down next to her, stretching out.

"Well, Red Riding Hood," he began affectionately, patting her red hair. "Shall we read another book?"

Jenny curled up next to him, not saying anything.

"Grandfather?" she asked finally, in a small voice. "I want my Daddy."

Her grandfather gave her a sympathetic look, and bent to kiss her. He started to read to her in his deep, firm, calm voice, and she felt sleepy, but her stomach still felt bad. She held onto his hand while he read, hoping he stayed.

She was half-asleep when he got up and stood at the door. He spoke in whispered voices, and Jenny heard Grandmother Abigayle crying – but it sounded like angry tears, not sad ones. Then, the door shut, and Grandfather sat down in a fancy chair in the room and put his feet up, and Grandmother sat down on the bed next to Jenny.

"Gabby," Jenny murmured sleepily – Grandmother Abigayle liked being called that – she yawned.

Her grandmother bent to kiss her, and stroked her hair, murmuring softly.

"We love you very much, Jennifer," Grandmother Abigayle said softly, sincerely. "We'll take care of you, baby," she soothed.

Jenny fell asleep, thinking about that – her grandparents loved her, loved her so much, just like Daddy did; and her grandparents would take care of her, even if she had to stay here, in this place someone called Belle Meade, Tennessee, and wait for Daddy to come rescue her – so it didn't matter too much that Mo – _Kim-ber-ly_ didn't like her, and didn't want her.

"We'll take care of you, Jennifer," Grandmother Abigayle kept saying. "You're our whole world, you know."

In a strange room, in a strange house, in a strange city, six-year-old Jenny Shepard fell asleep with a hollow, worried feeling in the pit of her small stomach; she somehow knew she'd wake up and Kim-ber-ly would be gone, and she hoped that Daddy didn't get hurt, that he came back from that strange place in Bos-nee-uh, because he was the one who wanted her.

* * *

_Belle Meade, Tennessee  
_1996

* * *

_-story#230_


	2. Serafina

_a/n: hey guys! so here you go, it's kind of three parts - and we flesh out the mystery of the infamous Kimberly Shepard ! now she was actually hard for me to write, because i'm bad at understanding her type of person and i also wanted her to be pretty unforgivable/undefendable without being totally inhuman, you know? so what i did was look at a lot of aspects of Meredith Castle (if you watch) as well Edna Pontellier and honestly even a little Scarlett O'hara. hope you l_ike!

* * *

**Serafina**

_Washington, D.C. / Alexandria, Virginia_  
_Summer 2019_

* * *

Jasper Shepard had a splitting headache, and that headache had a name. This headache was a condition that hadn't plagued him for years now, and though he had voluntarily – yet reluctantly – instigated it, he certainly had not foreseen the physical form of said headache showing up on his doorstep looking barely a day older than the last time he'd seen her.

He sat stiffly in his chair, his jaw tight and his shoulders set back – and she sat across from him, slouched in a chair, purple contacts in her eyes, and bottle blonde, blown out hair tumbling over her shoulders. The last time he'd seen her, her hair had been red and her eyes green, and she'd looked naturally twenty-five instead of botoxed forty-eight.

He hadn't expected to see her at all, when he'd placed one succinct, cool phone call to the number he'd had on file for her – a file he had always kept updated using his contacts, just in case.

He hadn't expected to see her. Hadn't wanted to.

Here she was.

"Are you going to offer me a drink?" his wife asked him, arching dark, penciled eyebrows and batting long, fake eyelashes.

"No," he said shortly.

She smiled at him, and shrugged, sighing lightly.

"Times have changed," she remarked. "To think, all I used to have to do was bat my eyelashes at you."

"It's been over twenty years," Jasper said bluntly. "Your eyelashes don't look the same."

She laughed, but she rightly didn't look too flattered. He leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his desk, holding his palms out, up towards the ceiling.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kimmy?" he asked dully, but with a tone that indicated refusing to answer wasn't an option.

"No one's called me _Kimmy_ in years."

"Is it officially Kimmy Cat these days, then?"

The woman in front of him smiled a little tightly.

"That was a short-lived career choice," she said, turning up her nose a little. "I'm surprised you know about it."

"You shouldn't be."

"No, I shouldn't," she conceded abruptly. "I always had the feeling you were keeping an eye out."

"On the off chance I needed a kidney," he answered with mild sarcasm, "or medical history."

"Would you have one of those fancy snipers at your command kill me for a kidney?" she laughed, clicking her tongue. "Perry, I never thought you had it in you."

"To kill? I'm a goddamn U.S. Army General, Kimmy," he snapped pointedly.

"To hurt me," she corrected.

"I wasn't lookin' out for me, or for you," he retorted dangerously, letting his hands fall onto the desk.

Kimberly Shepard lifted her shoulders with a carelessness he hadn't missed, and held her hand up, her index finger falling to rest on her lips. She indicated she had no more to say, and then crossed her legs, resting a hand on her knee.

Jasper swallowed, pointing his finger down at his desk.

"I contacted you for a simple reason," he said calmly.

"Then all of this surprise that I'm here in the flesh is ridiculous," she said lightly.

He shook his head.

"I haven't seen or heard from you since before I left for Bosnia," he said tightly, "since nineteen-ninety _six_. I expected you to return the papers I sent you promptly with the required signatures without showing your face."

He studied her a moment, and held out a hand, at a loss – nothing could explain why, on a whim, suddenly, she'd decided to show back up – why now, she decided to disrupt things, throw a monkey wrench into his plans when he was trying to make good in this aspect of his life.

"It didn't occur to you that I might have liked the arrangement we had?"

"We didn't have an _arrangement,_ Kim," he said abruptly, his voice hard. "You left, neither of us bothered with a divorce – I haven't supported you. I haven't paid you; you've used my health benefits. That's it."

"That's the arrangement I liked."

He leaned back and groaned, rubbing his jaw. He wasn't buying it, and he wasn't putting up with it either.

"You don't need it," he said flatly. "I'm well aware of the kind of lifestyle you live. You can more than afford health care with the profits of your – short-lived film career," he muttered, "and you benefit from the bank accounts of exceedingly well-off men."

"Christ, Perry, you almost sound like TMZ!" she joked, laughing.

She pushed thick, bleached hair back and leaned forward, resting an arm on the desk and lowering her lashes. She chewed on her lip for a moment.

"You used to be so much fun, Perry," she murmured coquettishly.

He sat watching her for a moment, and he was suddenly furious. He leaned forward, his knuckles white, his teeth clenched, and he made sure to keep his voice as coldly balanced and low as possible so as not to bring the walls of the brownstone tumbling down.

"You have been in this house for half an hour and you haven't even mentioned her," he growled angrily.

Kimberly arched her brows.

"Who, the Mexican?" she asked. "I don't even know the woman – Naomi?"

"Noemi," barked Jasper. "Noemi is Honduran, Kimberly – Jesus Christ," he broke off, swallowing hard. "I am not talking about Noemi, and so help me God, you – "

She sighed and leaned back, stretching her hands out on the arms of her chair and gripping the edges. She gave him a look, cutting him off before he could demean her with a name. She looked down at her gaudily manicured fingernails and then up at him through her lashes.

"You're talking about Jennifer?" she asked simply.

"Yes," he growled through gritted teeth. "Why aren't _you_?"

Her faux purple eyes fixed on him, eyes he used to be so mesmerized by – so infatuated with. He didn't see them as Kimberly's anymore; he saw them as his daughter's, and he hated how Kimberly looked so unburdened and young because she'd abandoned her responsibility, and she didn't know how badly it had scarred his little girl.

"What if I asked about her, Jasper?" Kimberly asked bluntly. "What would you say?"

"I'd tell you to go to hell."

She shrugged.

"Then why would I even ask?" she muttered.

"That isn't the point, Kimmy," he barked. "That's far from the goddamn point. You didn't refrain from asking about Jenny because you knew I'd cut you off, or out of respect for your mistakes," he paused, "you didn't ask because she didn't even occur to you."

His wife blinked at him, and she didn't deny it. Though he had known it to be the truth, her lack of denial made him furious, and he resisted the urge to stand up and physically throw her out of his house. It had been so long since he'd been with Kimberly, so long since he'd had to confront what she'd done and his own feelings about her, that he was wholly unprepared for it.

Kimberly lifted her hand and pushed her hair back again.

"What is she up to?" she asked obediently, her lips pursing uncomfortably.

He leaned back and looked away, his eyes fixated on the bottle of scotch Jennifer had given him for his last birthday. The question felt like a knife, felt cold, and wrong; in what universe should a mother be that removed from her own child's successes?

Kimberly didn't know a thing; she truly didn't know what Jenny had done, or who she had become since she left her when she was six-years-old. This woman, his wife, his daughter's mother, sat in front of him and knew nothing, and didn't think to ask, to care.

He rubbed his jaw, turning back to her.

"That is something Jennifer can catch you up on if you can convince her to give a damn about you," he said heavily.

He knew it wasn't his place to tell Kimberly anything about Jennifer, and he knew his daughter would be absolutely furious if he did. The last he had heard, Jenny had no interest in Kimberly – no interest in anything except hating her and resolutely ignoring her existence. She was happy and successful as a mother and in her career, and Jasper had no intention of disrupting that on behalf of a woman who had only ever done her wrong.

Kimberly lifted her shoulders, resting her pointer finger against her temple.

"You want to give me a phone number, and address? She doesn't live with you anymore?"

"Kimberly, do you even know how the hell old she is?" he asked in abject disbelief.

The woman blinked at him with an unbelievable lack of concern.

"It isn't my place to give you her contact information," he said stiffly. "You wanted your own life. She has her own without you. Any move to change that is her decision – "

"I don't have any say in it?" Kimberly asked lightly, almost playfully.

"You gave up that right a long time ago," Jasper retorted curtly. He stood up. "I will find a time to speak to Jennifer about you," he said narrowly. "I wouldn't wait up for a phone call."

Kimberly didn't seem concerned, she just blinked at him placidly – but she looked sour, a little annoyed; spoiled, in essence, a countenance that characterized her frequently, he remembered.

"You let me know where you're staying, Kimmy," he said gruffly, with finality, gesturing for her to get up. "I can meet with you there to further discuss these papers, if you are serious about," he paused sardonically, "contesting the divorce."

She stood, sliding a sleek designer bag over her shoulder.

"I need a lawyer?" she asked, tilting her head flirtatiously. She smiled a little, and shook her head. "I'm sure we can work it out, Perry," she told him sweetly.

He wasn't charmed enough to smile, and she leaned forward, pushing her hair back once again before she reached for a notepad on his desk and clicked a pen open with her teeth, writing down in sprawling, cursive writing the address of the swanky hotel some oil money boyfriend from Hollywood had paid for.

* * *

Jenny Gibbs grit her teeth and put a smile on. She was exhausted, frustrated, and stressed out, and she refused to let that show to her children – or at least to the one who was capable of walking and talking.

"Mama," Anna repeated insistently, crossing her little arms and glaring. "Read books!"

"You have to wait a minute," Jenny told her again, shifting her position and adjusting the baby in her arms.

"Mama!"

"Anna," Jenny placated neutrally, "Anna, you have to be patient. Mommy is feeding your sister."

Anna stepped back and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Jenny, flicking her expressive little blue eyes down to her sister's head. Jenny drew one of her legs up so she could rest her arm on it, giving her some support for Katharyn.

"Eated supper already!"

Jenny nodded.

"Ate," she corrected gently. "We did eat supper; you're right," she told her. "But little sister doesn't eat like you, remember? She only likes cereal in the bottle, and milk."

Anna stepped closer and watched Jenny, eyeing her baby sister, as well. She hadn't ever liked being around when Jenny breastfed; it made her jealous and for some reason she had refused to adjust to it. Jenny refused to pander to the behavior, though; she'd weaned Anna at ten months and she was determined to last as long with Katharyn.

"Read to me!" Anna said, ignoring Jenny.

"I'll read to you when I put Katharyn in her crib."

"Now!"

"No, Anna."

"Daddy read to me!"

Jenny sighed quietly, trying to keep her temper.

"Daddy isn't home," she said in a low voice. "He's working late."

Anna frowned at her. She sat down heavily and then sprawled on her back, glaring up at the ceiling pitifully. Jenny bit her lip, resisting the urge to smirk at the toddler, and quietly thanked a higher power that she'd at least resigned herself to waiting.

Jenny looked down to check on Katharyn, watching her for a moment before gently shifting her arms again and looking back to keep an eye on her eldest. Anna laid there as if personally victimized, pouting at the ceiling.

"What do you want to read tonight?" Jenny asked, trying to ease the blow.

"Daddy," Anna grumbled in response.

"He's kind of hard to read," Jenny said conversationally. "Not the open book type, honey, hate to break it to you."

Anna rolled over onto her stomach, covering her ears, and Jenny smiled, shaking her head good-naturedly. Anna had become more expressive since Katharyn had been born, but she was still more of a silent brooder than a tantrum thrower.

"Anna," Jenny sang softly. "Thank you for trying to be patient. I am very impressed by the maturity."

Anna squirmed, shaking her head back and forth. Jenny rolled her eyes and sat forward, shifting Katharyn into an upward position. She took a soft washcloth from her shoulder and brushed it over the baby's lips before settling her against her shoulder and standing up.

She ran her hand soothingly over the baby's back, patting softly, and glanced at a digital clock as she went to the kitchen to fix Anna a nightly cup of water for reading time.

It was almost nine, way past Anna's bedtime, and Katharyn should have been done eating and down for the night at seven – but for the past week, because Gibbs had been so late at work so often, and Jenny's law school schedule and work had gotten hectic, nap and sleep schedules were skewed; Katharyn had missed a nap today and Anna had moved into an over-tired, hyper stage when her usual bedtime ended up being the time when Jenny finally got dinner on the table.

Katharyn fussed on her shoulder, and Jenny walked around, keeping a wary eye on Anna in case she decided to get up and disappear. She was on her second round about the kitchen when Anna bolted up, her head cocked like a puppy. Jenny stopped, and turned to look at the front door.

"Daddy!" Anna shrieked, scrambling up and darting towards the door as he walked through.

Understandably, he'd expected the kids to be in bed, so Jenny was impressed when he hid his surprise and dropped his bag in plenty of time to lean down and pick up Anna as she leapt at him.

"Look at you," he growled pleasantly, kissing her forehead. "Isn't it past bedtime? Were you giving Mommy a hard time?" he asked seriously.

Anna shook her head, scrunching her nose.

"Mama won't read!" she insisted, crossing her arms.

Jenny rolled her eyes and moved Katharyn to her other shoulder, striding towards Gibbs as he carried Anna into the living room. He reached out and put his hand on her lower back, leaning over to kiss her, and Jenny sighed quietly.

"I had my afternoon class today," she reminded him. "I didn't get home until five-thirty – "

He shrugged. He didn't mind if the kids missed bedtime once in a while. He turned and smiled at Anna.

"I hope you were helpful," he said pointedly. She smiled at him blithely, and he turned back to Jenny. "Anything to eat?" he asked. "McAlister worked us through lunch."

"Jethro," she said tightly. "I need you to help with this first," she told him flatly, gesturing between the kids.

He nodded, and turned to Anna.

"Mama can read to you now," he said. "Jen, I'll put Katharyn down, here –"

"Daddy read," Anna piped up, clinging to his shoulder. "Daddy."

"Yeah, right, she's mad at me," Jenny said, a little of her pent up frustration showing through. She nodded, waving her hand. "You read to her," she relented. "I'll rock Katharyn."

Gibbs nodded again. He gave Anna a look, and leaned over, silently telling her she should kiss her mother goodnight.

"Night-night, Mama," Anna said smugly, satisfied. She waved. "Night-night, Katty," she added.

Jenny made a face at the juvenile nickname, and gave Gibbs a look. He grinned a little, and shrugged – nine months of Anna saying 'Kitty!' when they asked her about the baby, and when they actually named her Katharyn, she called her _Katty_.

Relieved that Gibbs had Anna out of her hair, Jenny retreated into the living room and sat down in the rocking chair that had once been Gibbs' mother's, breathing out in relief at the quiet.

When her class schedules got jerked around at Georgetown, it inevitably screwed up her part time work schedule and her parenting duties, and it usually compromised which babysitter was available as well – Gibbs working late to boot hadn't made this week particularly easy.

She shifted Katharyn into the cradle of her arms and relaxed, content to enjoy the quiet for a moment and make sure the baby got to sleep peacefully. She always had enjoyed rocking her babies to sleep; it was a lot less time-consuming and sometimes frustrating as trying to get a two-year-old to calm down.

It didn't take long for a full and tired Katharyn to go to sleep, and she gingerly carried her upstairs and put her down in the crib, resting her palm on her stomach for a moment before she retreated, turning the monitor on and closing the door.

She ran her hands through her hair, and went into the master bedroom, finally changing into more comfortable clothes and taking a moment to lie down on the bed and take a breath. She must have succumbed to a small nap, because the next thing she knew Gibbs was crawling over her and nudging her shoulder with his nose.

"Wake up," he murmured into her hair, laughing quietly.

"Mmmm," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"It's too early for bed, Jen."

"It's never too early," she mumbled dramatically.

She rolled over and sighed, pushing her hair up. He put his hands next to her head, kneeling over her and giving her an exaggerated, sympathetic look.

"C'mon," he coaxed. "I made dinner."

"With what?" she laughed tiredly. "I haven't been to the store in ten days."

"Found some ground beef in the freezer next to frozen milk, noodles in the cabinet," he shrugged. "Spaghetti."

"I know there's no marinara in the house."

"Yeah, uh, spaghetti with Alfredo sauce."

She crinkled her nose in disbelief, but laughed all the same. She nodded and started to sit up, leaning forward and kissing him before he backed off of her and they both got up. She yawned as she followed him into the kitchen.

"How long was my nap?"

"'Bout forty-five minutes," he answered. "Anna took about twenty to settle down, get to sleep."

"God," groaned Jenny, making a face. She sighed and went to the refrigerator, blinking rapidly to try and wake herself up. "Which means she'll still be asleep in the morning, and I'll have to wake her up and give a cranky two year old to Dad."

"Saydie."

"Huh?"

"Saydie takes the kids on Thursdays," he reminded her.

Jenny frowned and pulled a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, shaking her head – she'd gotten her days mixed up.

"Obviously Dad can't take the kids in the middle of a workday," she muttered to herself. "We need to put Anna in Montessori school or something."

"Nah," Gibbs said, fixing plates for them. "Let her just be a kid for a while."

"I know, I know," Jenny said taking her plate, setting it aside, and pouring wine for both of them. "But I don't like expecting other people to watch my kids in addition to their own – "

"Your dad loves it, Jen."

"He's different; he's family," she paused. "I mean Ziva – I felt bad giving her Anna when she's already got four, and now Katharyn, too?"

"Ziva's oldest are in school," Gibbs reminded her again. "Jen, she and Saydie don't work."

"Ziva works!"

"Her classes are a set schedule," Gibbs corrected. "You'n Jackie have jobs, and she knows how hard it is, she doesn't mind watchin' the kids."

"I know," Jenny said again, more sharply. "But a Montessori school is a good option, as well. It's more structured; less dependent on sudden changes – like this week. I missed an entire day of classes because no one could take the kids."

Gibbs nodded. He sat down at the kitchen table and pulled a chair over next to him, so she'd sit closer and face him. She sat down heavily and picked up a fork, eager to get some carbs in her system.

"We'd have to look into prices," Gibbs relented warily.

She nodded. She shrugged.

"I don't _want_ to put her in day care, either one of them … I'd like to be around while they're little, I know you would too, but I need to finish law school, then it will be easier to set a routine, and I don't want to put that off."

"So, don't," Gibbs said. He hesitated. "Jenny," he started cautiously, "I don't want you to get pissed at me for suggestin' this, but you ever consider just leavin' NCIS? Focus on law school and the kids?"

She didn't say anything. She took a sip of wine, giving him a calculating look, and he shrugged, turning to his food for a moment.

"Might take some stress off your shoulders," he said through a mouthful.

"Is it that obvious I can't handle it?" she asked tightly.

He shook his head, giving her an annoyed look.

"That's not what I said," he retorted firmly.

"It sounds – "

"No, it doesn't, you're twistin' my words," he interrupted seriously. He nodded at her pointedly. "Doin' it all with one kid isn't the same as doin' it all with two. 'M not sayin' you can't do it – you already do. 'M sayin' I wouldn't think anything of it if you wanted to quit workin' for a while."

"This isn't some old-fashioned June Cleaver fantasy of yours?" she asked dryly.

"Hell, Jen, it's not like I asked you to drop out of work and school," he griped, rolling his eyes. He shrugged. "Once you graduate, you'll end up makin' more than me anyway," he pointed out.

She considered him a minute, and then grinned, picking up her wine.

"Lookin' forward to having a sugar mama, are you?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned over to kiss her.

"Think about it, Jen," he muttered.

She nodded and shrugged. She'd file it away; consider it. This had been a bad week, so it wasn't the best time to make a decision. She scraped together some noodles and ground beef and tilted her head back and forth.

"I wonder if anyone's conceived this desperate dish before," she mused.

"Callin' it Spaghetti Gibbs," he drawled.

"Elegant," she snorted. "Jethro, you have to come home at five tomorrow," she told him frankly.

"Yeah, Jen, I'm sorry, I been – "

"I know, I work there too, and I know the Port to Port case is a bitch, but I have an exam in my night class tomorrow; I can't be late and I can't miss it. You have to be here for the kids."

"McAlister might keep me."

"Jardine and Harm don't have kids, you can tell him where to shove it," she said with finality.

Gibbs nodded to himself. He hadn't been home before seven in the past few days, and it had taken its toll on both of them. Summers were usually easier, but since Jenny had gone down to part time at school during the semester Katharyn was born and the spring semester directly after, she was taking full time classes during the summer, fall, and upcoming spring to graduate in May.

"Was Anna moody?" she asked suddenly.

Gibbs shrugged.

"Nah, she's okay. She wanted to read _Little Red Riding Hood_ and do a couple '_I-Spys'_."

"She was particularly jealous tonight."

"She still has her moments," Gibbs allowed, "but she loves Kat."

Jenny finished her wine.

"We have to decide what we're going to call that baby," she said, giving him a mildly amused look.

"Which one? Kat, Kit, Katty, Ryn, or –"

"Her actually name: Katharyn?"

"Jen, the only one who sticks with that mouthful is you."

Gibbs grinned – he knew his, and Anna's – and Jasper's, for that matter – tendency to call Katharyn a million different nicknames drove Jenny crazy, which was why he hadn't decided to settle on one yet.

"If she wakes up tonight, I'll get her," he offered.

"Hm, well, hopefully she'll be down for the count, but thank you."

Jenny finished her plate and sighed contently, giving him a grateful look. She leaned back and looked longingly at the bottle of wine, and Gibbs pointed at it with his fork.

"Have another glass."

"I have to study."

"Jen, you been up late studyin' all week," he coaxed. He abandoned his plate for a moment and leaned forward, running his hand over her knee. "Pour another glass, go get in a bath, and I'll come in when the dishes are done," he suggested.

She sighed, and looked at him, trying to find the discipline to deny him and stick with her work ethic.

"You really think you'll fail your exam?" he prodded.

She shrugged – no, she didn't really think so. She'd been busting her ass for this exam; it was in a subject she didn't have any interest in, and it would probably do her some good to give herself a break.

He didn't wait for her to answer, and he reached forward, poured her another glass of wine, and pressed it into her hand. He stood up and gathered their plates, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"I'll be in there in a minute," he muttered suggestively, and she smiled, pulling her glass close to hold it against her chest for a moment.

She sat there for a moment, with her lips resting on the glass of wine, pleased with what she had, and making a willing, mental note to consider what he'd suggested – however, as it stood, she felt like she was in a very good place.

* * *

Kimberly Shepard wasn't one for sitting around and doing nothing; she was easily bored and she liked to be entertained – and ten hours in the tedious United States capitol reminded her exactly why she loved the bright-eyed, glitzy buzz of Los Angeles.

She also wasn't one who took kindly to being condescended to or thought little of; she liked being the center of attention, and she liked adoration from those around her – validation, some called it, but she liked to think she deserved it – and she was used to receiving that.

When she had waltzed, glamorously and flashily, back into her estranged husband's life and failed to receive the usual attention she got from him – the attention and fawning she remembered from her teenage days – she felt slighted, and pettily annoyed – though she herself wouldn't think her discontent petty.

It was annoying for her old flame to sit there and look at her coldly, with such little hospitality, and try to make her feel as terrible for being herself as her stuffy old society parents always had. He'd had the nerve to sit there and berate her for the issue with that kid they'd had – as if he didn't know better, as if he thought she'd left so she could spend twenty-three years missing what she'd deliberately given up.

She stretched out languidly on a bed in her hotel room, flipping through pay-per-view options. The choices were infinite, which made it seriously hard to choose one – though she had time; it would be an hour or so before the expensive room service she'd ordered arrived.

She popped a bubble of gum, bored.

She should have booked a hotel with an all-inclusive spa, but her trip out here had been whimsical in nature and she hadn't thought too far ahead, not that she ever did. It wasn't on her dime, so she could easily find some quaint little place in Georgetown to pamper her – on her latest mogul boyfriend's dime – while she waited for Jasper to bore her with the papers he finally wanted signed.

All so he could marry some housekeeper he'd apparently hired to deal with Jennifer, Kimberly assumed. She doubted he'd spent his time raising her, if he was so _mightily_ successful in the army these days. She snickered at how cliché it was for him to end up married to a maid, for God's sake – what a step-down from the southern-bred belle, silver-spoon-in-mouth wild ride Kimberly herself was.

Kimberly sat forward and thrust the remote aside, pulling a sleek, brand new iPad towards her and connecting it to the hotel's complimentary Wi-Fi. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't hardly guess why she'd taken it upon herself to fly out here – she could have just signed his whiny papers and expressed them back to him.

The unexpected ambush was exciting to her dramatic nature, though, so she opened a website, a flicker of annoyance striking her again at his refusal to give her any information about Jennifer when he seemed so righteously annoyed that she hadn't shown interest.

The thing about Kimberly was – she didn't like to be predicted, she didn't like to be judged, she didn't like to feel small, and she didn't like Jasper treating her like her parents had instead of how his love-struck, moony young self had.

She found a search engine, and tilted her head, thinking back – when had she been pregnant, seventeen, eighteen – nineteen? The years ran together, and she shrugged; their kid would be older now, obviously too old to be living at home.

She placed her fingers over the touch screen and used manicured nails to tap in a full name –

_Jennifer Morgan Shepard_

—and waited.

Immediately, hundreds of pages came up, and with a roll of her eyes, Kimberly amended the search –

_Jennifer Morgan Shepard, DC, Jasper Shepard_

– she should have known Jennifer Shepard would turn up nothing, it was such a common and boring name – Kimberly had always been incensed it was the one thing Jasper had put his foot down about – refused to let her name her own kid, when _Serafina_ was such a majestic name.

She pushed her blonde hair back and smacked her gum, lazily scrolling through a couple of headlines – mentions of Jasper in news articles about the war, a brief mention of his daughter receiving a scholarship – then she spotted a wedding announcement, and enlarged it:

_July 14__th__, 2013 / Tudor Place History House and Gardens: In a small ceremony on Sunday afternoon, Jennifer Morgan Shepard, 23, daughter of decorated Army Colonel Jasper Shepard, married Gunnery Sergeant of the Marine Corps Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Jennifer, a Master's degree student of the University of Pennsylvania, is the only child of Jasper Shepard; her husband, of Stillwater, Pennsylvania, the son of – _

Kimberly scrolled through the rest of the announcement, uninterested, and glanced at the pictures – there were two: one of Jasper leading a bride onto a dance floor, and one of the same bride smiling as a tall Marine slipped a ring on her finger.

Kimberly tilted her head, leaning closer and blinking. The picture was good, but not the high quality one she usually saw on Internet publications. She couldn't even really tell if Jennifer was beautiful, or if the man she'd married – god, what an awful name – was attractive enough to settle down with forever.

"She likes 'em in uniform, too," Kimberly murmured to herself, smirking.

She clicked off the wedding announcement, making a mental note that Jennifer's new last name must be Gibbs – that would make figuring out where she was easier, theoretically. She highly doubted Jasper was doing her any favors keeping her a secret – Kimberly was sure Jennifer was just dying of curiosity, wondering where her dear mother had been all these years.

_Jennifer Morgan Gibbs_ she searched, noting that the first thing that popped up was some sort of meritorious service award for a government agency – gag, how boring; she didn't have the good grace to grow up to be a wild child? Kimberly edited the search to include the worlds '_yellow pages.'_

Her eyes scanned the online yellow pages site quickly, and she found what she was looking for.

_Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Mr. &amp; Mrs. 505 East Laurel Street, Alexandria, VA. _

She grabbed a pen, and copied the address down in neat script, pursing her lips as if she'd triumphed over Jasper. He knew her so well, he should have known better than to insinuate she was so predictably uninterested in Jennifer. He could call her uninterested all he wanted – she'd show him interest.

* * *

In between her morning classes, Jenny had studied at an alarming rate for the exam in her night class, and it was a good thing she was feeling so confident about the material, because the time between the end of her two o'clock class and the time Gibbs was supposed to be home was not exactly smooth sailing.

Gibbs hadn't called to say he'd be late, though, so she was expecting him.

She checked her watch as she finished changing Katharyn and held the baby against her chest, running her hand over her back soothingly.

"Mama," Anna said, scurrying after her into the hallway. "Mama, juice!"

"You got it, Miss Anna, just one minute," Jenny agreed, glancing around to make sure there was nothing treacherous on the floor. "Hold my hand," she ordered, pausing at the top of the stairs.

Anna clutched Jenny's fingers tightly, and Jenny led her carefully down the stairs, her arm protesting Katharyn's weight. Anna took the stairs well – she was still learning – and Jenny crouched down and crinkled her nose when they reached the bottom.

"Look at you!" she praised. "You'll be doing that all by yourself soon."

Anna beamed and leaned forward, fluttering her lashes. Jenny leaned forward and kissed her brow affectionately, standing back up and shifting Katharyn to her other arm. Katharyn lifted her head and looked around, an unhappy, feverish look on her face.

"Ma," she insisted, vocalizing with a whine. "Ma-ma-ma-ma."

"Mama," Anna repeated. "Mama, she sayin' word!"

"Mmm, well, she's trying," Jenny murmured. "Anna, can you go play in the living room please?"

"Supper?"

"Daddy's doing supper tonight."

Jenny paused, well aware Anna was probably going to be a little troublesome again if she tried to relax a minute and feed Katharyn – and she didn't have time to, anyway; she needed to freshen up and get back to campus as early as possible.

"Hey, Bananas, c'mere," she said, changing her mind. She sat Katharyn down on the counter and held her steadily, looking down at Anna with arched brows. "Will you be big, big help to Mommy, and play with baby sister while I fix a bottle?"

Anna peered at her skeptically, and tilted her head. She put her hands on her hips.

"Ooookay," she agreed.

Jenny grinned at her, and led her into the living room. She set up the adjustable, colour-block pen around them. She placed Katharyn on a blanket and made sure there were plenty of toys to keep the girls occupied, and then she kissed Katharyn's cheek and gave Anna a small hug.

"You're a good big sister," she murmured, smiling encouragingly.

She got up and pushed her hair back, a little frazzled. She'd been counting on going to the grocery store today because Katharyn was usually asleep when she picked her up – but Katharyn hadn't been asleep today, and she was in no mood to deal with two young kids alert and demanding in a store.

That meant she had absolutely no dinner plans, and she was half a second away from texting Gibbs and telling him to bring home McDonald's, or placing a call to her father and asking if he'd mind company for supper.

On top of that, Katharyn was mildly feverish and unhappy, and Jenny was worried one of her ear infections was bothering her again – she was annoyingly prone to them.

She tried to focus on fixing up a bottle for the baby, but she'd had it in the microwave maybe ten seconds when Anna let out a piercing shriek and burst into tears.

Jenny whipped around and was next to her in seconds, responding to the distress in admirable time. Despite the initial stab of fear that had stricken her at the sound of her daughter's cry, she quickly realized that though Anna was hurt, her scream of agony had been the attention-seeking exaggeration of a toddler.

From what Jenny could piece together, Anna had been helping Katharyn stand up, holding the table; Katharyn had fallen backwards and slammed her head into Anna's lip – now Anna was bleeding, and Katharyn was sitting on the floor looking stunned and teary-eyed.

"_Mama_!" wailed Anna, burying her face in Jenny's shirt. "_Mama_, ouch! Katty _hit_ me!"

Jenny clicked her tongue sympathetically, crossing her legs and sitting down with them. She pulled Anna matter-of-factly into her lap and held her still looking down at the busted lip critically.

"She didn't hit you, honey, she didn't mean to," Jenny soothed, trying to ignore her frustration for a moment. She took the hem of her shirt – and it was a nice shirt, too – and dabbed gently at the blood on Anna's lip. "Your teeth cut your lip," she said.

Anna continued to make a big fuss, and Jenny sighed, holding her with one arm and leaning over to touch Katharyn's cheek and examine her face and skull, running her fingers over the baby gently to check for any unseen damage.

"Ma," whimpered Katharyn, her face crumpling. She reached out, grabbing with her hands, her big blue-green eyes fixed on her mother. "MA!" she screamed.

Anna covered her ears and cried louder, trying to compete. Jenny stared at both of them in annoyed disbelief. She was counting to ten mentally, trying to keep from shouting at an infant and a toddler who had no impulse control, when the door opened and Gibbs strolled in.

It was ten after five, but she wasn't going to dock him points for that; she'd told him to be home on time, and he delivered almost to the dot.

He slammed the door, and she glanced up to see him stop in his tracks, clearly taken aback that no little girl ran to greet him, and then he spotted her, and tilted his head, a wary look crossing his face. He dropped his bag, kicked off his work boots, and strolled over.

"Jesus," he muttered good-naturedly, and crouched down.

"Thank God," Jenny sighed tightly, shifting onto her knees. She did some quick thinking, and decided it was best if she had Jethro take Katharyn; it might soothe some of Anna's mommy jealousies.

"What the hell happened?"

"Long story," Jenny groaned, standing up with difficulty. "Handle Katharyn, will you? She asked. Her bottle's in the – _shit_," Jenny swore, forgetting herself. "Well, it's too hot, I forgot to take it out and shake it," she snapped at herself.

She carried Anna to the sink and perched her there, taking a washcloth and wetting it with cool water to hold to her swollen little lip. She ran her hand through the little girl's knotted hair and smiled at her sympathetically.

"You're fine," she told her airily. "You won't let a little bump take you down, will you?" she coaxed.

Anna sniffled, her eyes big and red, and let Jenny take care of her. She held on to Jenny's wrist tightly, holding the washcloth to her mouth.

Gibbs paced around the kitchen patiently with Katharyn, snuggling her against his shoulder and talking to her quietly. He rested the back of his hand against her forehead.

"She sick, Jen?"

"Temp was ninety-nine when I got home, but I haven't checked it since," Jenny said distractedly. "I don't want to leave you with a sick baby, but this exam – "

"Take it easy," he interrupted. "I'll be fine," he came to stand beside her, giving Anna a mildly stern look. "Anna-Bee won't give me any trouble, will she?"

Anna burst into a watery grin and shook her head, and Jenny looked at her in relief, wiping off the last of the blood from her lip. She nodded, showing her pride in Anna's answer, and Anna pointed to her lip.

"Daddy," she said bravely, "_Ouch_."

"I bet I know how that happened," Gibbs said seriously. He pointed to Katharyn, who was clinging to him with tiny fists. "She popped you one with her hard head, huh?"

Anna blinked at him, and nodded uncertainly. Gibbs ruffled her hair.

"Karma," he grunted. "You did that to me a coupla times."

Anna giggled, thought Jenny wasn't sure she understood exactly what Gibbs was saying.

Jenny turned, placing a hand on her hip.

"I haven't fed them," she said quietly. "Honestly, I wouldn't be mad at you if you just ordered pizza. You just can't give Anna anything more than cheese, and bottle and maybe banana for Katharyn."

Gibbs nodded.

"I'll go to the store tomorrow after work," he offered.

"Great," she agreed immediately – her cell phone rang, and she turned around, looking for it warily for a moment before remembering it was in her back pocket.

She indicated Gibbs should make sure Anna didn't fall, and stepped away.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jennifer," her father greeted.

"Dad," she said pleasantly, as Katharyn fussed a little bit in the background.

Her father didn't exactly waste time with pleasantries.

"You busy this evening?"

"Yes," she said curtly. "I have an exam – "

The doorbell rang, and she held the phone away a little, staring at her husband in disbelief – in a _'you've got to be kidding me'_ sort of way.

"Mama, I say hi," Anna piped up, reaching for the phone.

Jenny smiled a little and shook her head kindly, distracted – the doorbell rang again, and she caught Jethro's eye.

"God, I need a break," she said good-naturedly, ruffling Anna's hair and bending to kiss Katharyn's forehead as she slipped past her husband towards the door.

"It's a little hectic over here right now," she mumbled into the phone, reaching for the door as the bell rang a _third_ time.

She wrenched it open, an annoyed look on her face, and blinked. She wasn't expecting anyone at all, but she was a little taken aback by the presence of some leggy, trussed up blonde she'd never seen before standing on her front porch.

"I need to discuss something with you," Jasper was saying. "I know you're busy, but the sooner – "

"Dad, I'll call you back, okay? Give me until after my exam," she muttered, and hung up quickly.

She leaned against the doorway, about to apologize for being rude, and to ask what this woman wanted – and then she paused, caught off guard. She felt eerily – nostalgic, for a moment. Her own words echoed in her ears - except, they weren't her words, even though she'd said something like it –

_Mommy needs a break from you. _

Jenny blinked.

"Can I help you?" she asked politely, a little – in a tone that was a little light, a little uncertain.

The woman stepped up, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and Jenny's eyes rested in the roots of the bottle blonde – unmistakably, the faded, dry roots were red, and Jenny's stomach suddenly felt hollow and she was struck with a distinct and bewildering suspicion –

"You're looking at me as if you don't recognize your own mother!"

—she spoke, and Jenny somehow, immediately, unequivocally, and automatically, recognized her. There, behind the purple contacts, and the chemically changed hair, and the Botox and the heavy make-up and the glittery fake lashes, was the green-eyed redhead who'd disappeared twenty-three years ago.

The only reaction she could allow herself to have right now – when she had an exam to get to, to pass with flying colours, two fussy kids inside, and a husband who was going to go protectively ballistic - was a cold, composed lack of any emotion that had just blindsided her.

She stepped outside, pulling the door tighter behind her.

"I don't," she said flatly, icily. "I have no memory of you."

The blonde adjusted sunglasses on her head and smirked, waving her hand.

"Oh, for God's sake," she scoffed flippantly. "You can't forget – "

"I was very young when you decided motherhood wasn't in vogue," Jenny interrupted bluntly.

The woman cocked her head, and smirked.

"That sounded scarily like something _my_ mother would say," she laughed.

Jenny's face didn't change; she didn't blink, flinch, scowled – she just remained blank, and she chose not to react, chose not to fling herself at the bitch standing on her drive and throttle her for speaking of Abigail Morgan with such disdain.

"I do not have time for this," Jenny said succinctly. She paused, toying with what to say next –

She meant it when she said she didn't recognize her, though in a way that was more metaphorical than literal; that this was her absent, flake of a mother she had no doubt – using that particular word, and acknowledging her, was a whole different story entirely.

"Jen?" Gibbs called.

She didn't answer.

"Is that the Marine husband?"

"I don't know what the hell you're doing here," Jenny said in a low voice, "but you aren't welcome."

"Jen," Gibbs said, tugging at the door.

She turned her head.

"Watch the kids," she snapped under her breath.

"What's going on?" he growled, stepping out a little, eyeing the blonde.

She met his eyes and considered him in a sultry way that absolutely infuriated Jenny; she stepped in her line of sight, and moved closer, eye-level with the woman she perceived as a threat, her face still that unreadable, unbreakable mask of stone.

"Get the hell off my property," she hissed dangerously, "or I will not hesitate to call the authorities."

She turned on her heel, nudged Gibbs back into the house, and slammed the door ferociously, falling back against it loudly and resisting the urge to scream at the top of her lungs.

Gibbs stared at her, his eyes flicking towards the glass in the door, and then he glanced behind him – Anna and Katharyn were calm again, sitting in the living room. She held her eyes open wide, her jaw set tight, staring at Jethro.

"Who was that?" he muttered, sensing she was distressed.

Jenny arched her brows angrily.

"She said she was my mother."

Gibbs blinked, wary. He didn't say anything. He figured, from Jenny's reaction, that Jenny believed her – or didn't have any doubt in the first place. He watched as his wife took a deep, calm breath, and straightened up.

"I have an exam," she said curtly. She licked her lips. "While I am _at_ my exam, I want you to call my father, and I want you to ask him what the fuck is going on."

Gibbs nodded, without questioning her, and she slipped away from him, stalking up the stairs to get ready for class without a glance back, or another word, and he took a moment to stare out the stained glass window before he followed her lead and compartmentalized it, despite his concern for her, and focused on getting his daughters fed.

* * *

_Summer 2019_

* * *

_yikes, kimmy.  
by the way - the code name for this story with my beta was "perry shepard and the no good, terrible, very bad day."_

_-alexandra_


	3. Kimmy Cat

_a/n: i'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far! yeah kimberly is terrible. REAL terrible. _

* * *

**Kimmy Cat**

_Washington, D.C. / Alexandria, Virginia  
Summer 2019_

* * *

Jennifer Shepard was immensely glad that she possessed a particular talent for compartmentalization. If she hadn't had a cultivated ability to focus only on the task at hand when chaos demanded it, she might have failed the very important exam she had in her Tort Law class.

As it were, the moment she got out of her car and sat down with her blue exam book and two black pens, she was in the zone, and she was so intent on making sure the events of the night didn't ruin her performance that she was certain she wrote the exam twice as well as she'd expected.

In the few moments it took her to walk from her building on campus to the spot she'd parked the SUV in, she teetered on the verge of making a sharp left turn and storming into her childhood home to demand her father explain himself, but she took a deep breath and refrained; it was late, and she was fighting mad under a calm exterior.

She wanted to go home to Jethro and, she realized, despite her knee-jerk reaction to rip the General a new one, she didn't actually have the energy or the desire to see him right now.

So she got in her car, and she left – and she spent the uncongested drive back to Alexandria trying to keep her mind blank, but plagued intermittently by frustrated, desperate questions as to why that woman was here, why she'd shown up after no contact, none at all – for more than twenty years – and acted as if she'd be welcome with awe and curiosity.

Jenny felt no curiosity or awe; she felt anger, repulsion, and suspicion. She had stopped wondering what Kimberly was up to in California years ago, and she had no interest in her now, no matter where she was: Hollywood, or the doorstep of the house on Laurel street.

She got home a little earlier than usual – she had been one of the first to finish her exam – but even with twenty minutes to spare, the quiet of the house told her she'd missed Katharyn's routine wake-up-and-demand a bottle before going down for the full night.

She tucked her purse and backpack away in the hall closet, slipped off her shoes, and took the stairs very quietly up to Anna's room. First she slipped in to the toddler's room and checked on her, crouching down to watch her peaceful slumber for a moment before she kissed her lightly enough not to wake her. She performed the same ritual when she snuck into Katharyn's nursery and checked on her, resting her palm on the baby's stomach for a few moments.

She left the nursery, and stood outside the door a moment, unsure if her husband would be in the basement with his woodwork, or in bed, going over a case file or reading a book.

She opted to check the bedroom, and there he was, sprawled out with a case file but looking much more like he'd been just laying there waiting for her to come home.

"Kids go down okay?"

"No trouble," Gibbs grunted. "Test?"

Jenny shrugged. She reached up and took down her hair, walking over to the bureau and checking her reflection as she shook out the knots and creases in her long locks.

"I think I nailed it," she murmured, flicking her elastic hair tie into a bowl on the bureau and opening a drawer as she searched for something to wear to bed. She frowned, pretending to be captivated by her choices, and Gibbs cleared his throat.

She grit her teeth – of course, he was thinking about the elephant in the room; so was she, she just hadn't decided how to expose the total cacophony of thoughts the little confrontation had brought on.

She decided to begin as benignly as possible.

"Did you call my father?"

"Yeah, I called him – "

"Asked him what the fuck he thinks he's doing?"

So much for being benign.

"Not in so many words – Jen, why're you mad at _him_?"

Despite understanding why she was shaken and furious that her long absent mother had harassed her without warning, Gibbs hadn't exactly understood thus far why Jenny was so irate with Jasper.

Jenny turned around, and shoved her hair back. She crossed her arms tightly, protectively, over herself.

"She mentioned your Marine background," she hissed stiffly. "Jethro, she showed up at my house. The last time she was around, I was in Belle Meade, Tennessee. Where would she get any of that information?"

Gibbs stared at her. He sat forward a little, holding out his hand.

"You think your dad just sicced her on you?" he retorted. "Jen, c'mon, think about that. You think he'd tell 'er all that, knowing – "

"_What_ other explanation – "

"I don't know, but I talked to 'im, hon," he paused carefully, remembering the very loud, very aggressive conversation he'd had – well, listened to – with General Shepard.

She pursed her lips.

"What did he say?" she asked, backing off slightly.

"He's mad as hell, Jen," Gibbs told her seriously. "He damn near had a stroke, he was so pissed off. Christ – and I thought I understood the meanin' of swearin' like a sailor."

She calmed down slightly, but she grit her teeth, staring at him. She considered that – and she believed Gibbs; he wouldn't lie straight to her face, if he ever withheld truths from her it was in a shady, omission sort of way, not blatant.

She ran her tongue along her teeth and shrugged.

"I have to shower."

"You want to talk about this?" he asked, arching his brows.

"I want to take a shower," she said stubbornly.

She pushed off the bureau and walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open as she undressed. Gibbs rolled his eyes mildly and allowed her to have her little hot shower of avoidance. While the water ran and the bathroom fogged up, he put aside his case files and books and got ready for bed.

He checked in on Anna and Katharyn one last time each, and then turned up the baby monitor and set it next to his side of the bed – even though tonight was her night. He thought he'd take that one off her shoulders, considering the day's events.

He brushed his teeth as she was turning off the shower and climbing out. He wanted her to know he wasn't done with the topic, and he wasn't letting her get away with sidestepping the issue.

She wrapped a towel around her loosely and lazily, and then she sidled up to him and pressed her wet body against him, dampening his t-shirt and smiling a little as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

He rinsed out his mouth with Listerine and gave her a small, comforting hug, tugging on her wet hair as he left her to the bathroom. She dried off, toweled her hair and braided it into a long, dewy plait.

"Any preference for my bed time attire?" she asked him, giving him a flirty look from her pajama drawers as he laid back on the bed.

"Naked?" he suggested.

She rolled her eyes, selected a pair of boy shorts and a sheer tank top, and flicked off the overhead light, turning on a lamp as she took her place next to him in bed.

"Give me the baby monitor."

"Nah, I got it tonight, Jen."

"Oh, god, am I that pitiable?"

He put his hands behind his head on the pillow and shook his head, silently hoping she'd just let him do the parenting jobs tonight, if necessary. She sighed and unbraided her hair, beginning to re-braid it as she sat next to him.

"Is there still a bottle of whiskey in that cabinet under your – "

He shifted forward and hung off the bed to open a bedside table cabinet. Moments later, he had a small glass of bourbon ready to go, and she took it gratefully, abandoning her braiding busywork and leaving her hair in a wavy, loose twist.

She took a long sip and let out a deep breath, her shoulders sinking.

Gibbs laid back and rolled towards her, laying on his side and watching her eye the amber liquid.

"You were on the phone with him when you got the door," he reminded her gently, clearing his throat.

She nodded, her brow furrowing slightly – she'd almost blocked that out; her father had called, just as Katharyn was crying, and Anna was throwing a tantrum, and the doorbell was ringing – and in light of everything else, she'd forgotten.

She took another sip.

"He was callin' to talk to you about her, or somethin'. That's about what I got between all his yelling and swearing," Gibbs said dryly.

Jenny looked down at the whiskey in her glass.

"So he was going to call," she said slowly. She shook her head, a fleeting look of anger crossing her face. "He knew she was here, Jethro," she said tightly. "If he was calling to warn me," she paused, clenching her teeth, and sucking some bourbon through them. "He must have known she was going to ambush me."

"I don't think he wanted her to do that, Jenny."

She shrugged, ignoring him. It wasn't usually Gibbs who defended the General's sometimes neurotic, growling actions. It was usually Gibbs and the General throwing jibes at each other and Jenny merrily laughing; she felt odd, that Gibbs was recommending her father to her and she felt so hostile to him right now.

Gibbs reached over and ran his hand over her thigh, squeezing lightly.

"That's her, Jen?" he asked in a low voice. He lowered his head, trying to catch her eye. "Your mom?"

Jenny finished the glass of whiskey and put it on her own bed side table, leaning back and reaching up to push loose strands of hair back. She tangled her fingertips in her hair and sighed harshly.

"God, just…don't call her that," Jenny murmured tiredly. "Call her Kimberly."

She hated that word – _mom_ – applied to Kimberly. It was worse than mother. Mother implied something biological, something necessary, and Jenny even hated that – but _mom_, mom was a caregiver; mom was what she tried so hard to be to Anna and to Katharyn.

She was aware Gibbs was staring at her, patiently waiting, and she slid down the headboard a little, bunching herself up.

"And yeah, that's her," she said dully.

She knew it had to be Kimberly – not because she recognized her; she'd been utterly serious when she told the woman she had no real memory; but it had to be her. She felt it somewhere in the pit of her stomach, the back of her mind; that was the same woman who'd left her, who'd said she needed a break – a damn long one, it seemed, and who had shown up right as Jenny was jokingly saying she needed a break from her own child.

The redhead bit her lip and swallowed hard. Gibbs shifted and moved closer, sliding his arm over her stomach. He reached for her hand with his other, and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

"What're you thinkin', Jen?"

She shrugged a little, and looked down at him.

"Background check her at work tomorrow," she said softly. "Kimberly Bernadette Shepard. Maiden name Morgan."

"Bernadette?"

"I told you, they were Catholics. Big ones. Please?"

Gibbs grinned a little, and nodded. He'd do it – no harm in figuring out if she was a threat to his daughters. He tugged on Jenny a little, pulling her down into bed with him. He sensed she wasn't going to go to sleep right away; if he knew her, she'd be up in an hour making tea and watching late night talk shows until the TV lulled her to sleep. She had a habit of that, on nights that stressed her into wakefulness.

"You gonna call Jasper back?" he ventured gruffly.

She sighed, and turned over, cuddling up to him. She shook her head tightly.

"Not tonight, Jethro," she muttered tiredly, her jaw twitching. "I don't care how pissed he was at her … he fucked up," she said dully.

She pressed her knuckles against his chest lightly and started a lazy game of footsie with him under the covers, and he nodded to himself, deciding that was probably fair – it did seem that Jasper Shepard owed his daughter a serious explanation.

* * *

Jasper sat at the kitchen table with his uniform on and his forehead planted firmly in his palm. He took a burning sip of the hot coffee he'd made, and checked his Blackberry again, scrolling fruitlessly through missed calls and his inbox.

He dropped the phone heavily on the table and sat back, staring at it. He rubbed his jaw, and looked over at Noemi, watching her do wonders with a spatula and some homemade pancake mix at the stove.

He was fully dressed, but she was not, and he found himself staring at her thick, curly dark hair as it fell down her back over one of his oversized Army t-shirts.

"Miss Jenny not call you back yet?" Noemi asked, turning and looking at him pointedly.

She must have sensed his staring.

"Noemi, c'mon, drop the 'miss.'"

Noemi winked at him and shrugged, turning back around.

"Even Jennifer's been asking you not to use titles since she was – Jesus, fifteen or sixteen."

"Old habits," Noemi said simply. "Die hard?"

"Yeah, you got it right," he said, sensing her hesitancy with the idiom.

"You no mind me still calling you _Senor_," she pointed out.

He gave a short bark of laughter.

"Whole different context, Noemi," he snorted. He composed his face and glared at her back. "Don't mention that stuff to Jennifer."

Noemi laughed, turning around with a plate stacked full of pancakes and a bottle of syrup. She set the items down, and grabbed two forks and two knives.

"Mi – Jenny and I have good relationship, but not that kind," she said wryly.

She pushed her hair back, and gestured to his cell phone.

"She call back," she encouraged. "Last night, it was late. She has two little babies. She probably tired."

Jasper nodded, and leaned forward, taking up a knife and fork, splitting the stack of pancakes with her.

"I can't figure out why the hell Kim went over there," he growled, eyes focused stubbornly on the breakfast food.

"Maybe Miss Jenny's mother more curious than she act like," Noemi said placidly. "She has to have regret or two."

"You don't know Kimberly," Jasper said darkly, pausing and looking up at her. "When she left Jenny in Tennessee, she didn't turn back. She never made contact again. Tabs I had on her, I kept in case Jennifer had a medical emergency – every once in a while, I signed off on her health insurance claims through the Army. Nothin' else. She isn't regrettin' shit," he said. "It's somethin' else."

Noemi picked up his coffee mug and shared it, taking a thoughtful sip. She shrugged – she didn't know what Jasper wife's motives were, and she didn't think it her place to try and reason it out.

"Gibbs says she thinks I turned Kim loose on 'er," he said, gesturing at the abandoned Blackberry. "I gave up tryin' to make my daughter make peace with her mother. I wouldn't do that to her – "

"She _know_ that, Jasper, she just thinking," Noemi said simply. "Jenny, she only have you for all the years that matter. She might be mad for a little bit, but she never write you off like she did Kimberly," she told him earnestly.

She bent her head and caught his eye, patting his hand encouragingly. Jasper snorted dryly, and looked at her. He inclined his head gratefully, and cleared his throat.

"She had you, too," he pointed out seriously. "You were home with 'er when I was at work."

"Yes," Noemi said with a smile. "You know I love Miss Jenny."

He nodded, turning back to the pancakes for a moment. He abandoned them a second later, and sat back, taking up his coffee. He looked frustrated.

"She's had it in her head that we've been," he paused, and gestured between them vaguely, "for years – and I'm damn sure she's been gloating silently since that idiot she married probably told her what he … walked in on," he muttered.

"Jasper," Noemi laughed. "We have been," she gestured, "for years."

"I never addressed that with her," he growled. He put his hand down heavily on the table, pointing his finger hard on the wood. "I focused my life on _her_. I contacted Kim to get this goddamn divorce squared away so we could get _this_ in the open – "

"I think maybe you should have had more honesty with her in first place," Noemi broke in gently. "Miss Jenny – Jenny, she not type to be mad at you for dating," the woman said sagely. "But now, she maybe mad because … she feel excluded."

Jasper looked down at her hand, and twisted his wrist, lacing his fingers into hers. All of this, because he wanted to be able to marry Noemi, and announce that to Jenny without strings attached and with just some simplistic happiness – and out of the blue, on a whim, hurricane Kimberly had descended.

He leaned forward and checked his phone again for no reason, lamenting the lack of calls or text. He grit his teeth – he had to go into work, and while he was there, he had no idea if his estranged wife would pull some stunt again – stakeout Jenny's house, harass her husband – something.

"What day is it?" he muttered.

Noemi answered, and he frowned a moment, thinking.

"Jennifer's at work, then," he looked startled for a second. "Do I have the kids today?"

Noemi laughed at him.

"No, Jasper, you _work_," she reminded him, flicking the sleeve of his uniform. "Anna and Kate at _Senora_ Pride's house."

He grunted, muttering under his breath. Shaking his head.

"I don't want Kimberly campin' out on her lawn or some shit," he growled. "She isn't takin' my calls either – who the hell knows where she is," he snapped to himself – he really wanted to give his soon to be ex-wife a piece of his mind. "You think it's outta line to call in a favor to metro police, have someone watch their property?"

Noemi cringed.

"I think it a little like secret police in my country," she told him honestly. She cocked an eyebrow. "I also think Miss Jenny already make _Senor_ Gibbs send agent over."

"Right," Jasper muttered, suddenly sure that had been done – and Gibbs had probably done it without prompting, too; he'd see anyone he didn't know or anyone who shook Jenny up as a threat to his kids, and that man was manically protective of his kids.

The General stared at his Blackberry, his shoulders falling. At this point, he knew Jennifer wasn't calling back for a while – she might call tonight; but he suddenly had the feeling he'd see her in person before he'd get a call. She was probably just figuring out her plan of…attack.

He looked at Noemi, and smiled a little.

"I'll warn Kimberly to stay the hell away from her," he drawled, standing up. He leaned forward and kissed Noemi on the cheek. "Work," he muttered.

"It turn out okay, Jasper," she said warmly, waving goodbye.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and shrugged, grabbing his cover from the table in the front hall. He had never intended for Jenny to be blindsided or attacked by Kimberly, not before he'd broached the subject – he'd never intended for Kimberly to show up at all, and now the one thing - person – who had made sure his relationship his daughter was strong as hell was causing a conflict between them.

* * *

Despite agency jokes about their entwined work lives and home lives, Jenny and Gibbs did not make it a habit of taking lunch together either within NCIS or somewhere in the city surrounding. For one thing, they only worked a full day together twice a week – purposely, in order to deal with her school schedule and having someone at home with the kids – and for another, he was usually busy in the field, and she wasn't one who particularly cared for making lunch a thing when she slept in his bed at night anyway.

On this day, however, their breaks did coincide, and she stopped by the bullpen level break room with an energy bar and a small carton of yogurt. She got a bottle of water from the vending machine, and sat down next to him at a wobbly table, eyeing his lunch.

"That is a damn good looking sandwich," she said seriously. "Did your wife make that? She must be a keeper."

Gibbs grunted, holding up the sandwich she'd indeed made for him.

He shook his head, smirking.

"Nah, my mistress made it."

Jenny slapped him gently in the back of the head and rolled her eyes. He shrugged her off and gave her paltry lunch a look.

"Why didn't you make one for you, too?" he asked.

"I thought you might start beating me if I dared show such brazen independence," she retorted, giving him a wide-eyed, mock terrified look.

"Jen, c'mon."

She laughed, and tore open the top of her yogurt.

"I'm not hungry," she said. "Stressed," she muttered.

"Want to go out to dinner tonight?" he asked. "Lobster, filet – "

"Who said kids take the romance out of marriage?" she laughed, smiling at him. "Ah, they do though," she said good-naturedly, shaking her head. "I can't ask Saydie to keep the girls any longer for us to have a date."

"We'll take 'em – "

"No, Jethro."

"Takin' 'em to a restaurant one time can't be that bad, Jenny!"

"No kids in restaurants until they can read a menu."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and sat back, falling quiet.

"Your Dad will take 'em," he suggested.

Jenny was quiet for a few minutes, and she sucked on her yogurt spoon somewhat aggressively. She shook her head.

"No," she rejected. "Not if that woman is hanging around the house or spontaneously showing up – or whatever the hell he's doing with her," she growled curtly.

"Jasper wouldn't let anyone hurt our kids."

"I don't want her ever laying eyes on them."

Gibbs held up a hand, indicating he understood, trying to placate her. He reached for a cup of coffee and took a sip, while she rested her elbows on the table and cleared her throat. She paused, and then tilted her head.

"Did you run a background check?"

Gibbs nodded, chewing thoughtfully. He shrugged.

"Wasn't hard," he revealed. "Not like she was out in California trying to hide, and people have such public lives these days," he rolled his eyes at that. "She's got all the social media, posts on it like she's – "

"An empty-headed teenager?"

"Somethin' like that."

"Shocking."

"Surprised you never ran one on her, at the CIA," Gibbs said.

"Jethro," Jenny said, putting her hand on his arm. She caught his eye. "I have told you a thousand times I don't give a shit about her. And when I say that, I don't mean in the vein that I secretly obsess over her while pretending to be aloof – I don't care, I will never care, and my only interest in looking into her now is keeping her away from my children and the life I have built without her."

Gibbs studied her a moment, and nodded. He leaned forward again and brushed crumbs off his hands, reaching for the apple in his brown bag. He bit into it aggressively and chewed.

"She's got no criminal record," he told her mildly, "but she's got criminal associates, mostly in the porn industry."

"I did tell you that's all I found on her the one time I looked her up," Jenny said curtly. "Not something you want to see when you're thirteen."

"Yeah, well, that's about all the acting she ever got into in Hollywood," Gibbs grunted. "Goes by Kimmy Cat; she's got five adult films under her belt, modeling gigs for adult stores," he listed.

Jenny rolled her eyes, scraping her yogurt carton.

"Did you watch any?"

He turned to look at her, horrified.

"Did I watch porn with your mother in it?"

She pointed the spoon at him viciously.

"Call her that again, and I will scourge your mouth with dish soap," she threatened.

He grit his teeth.

"I didn't _watch_ any."

"What are they called?"

"Thought you didn't give a shit."

"Not about her, but occasionally I find amusement in the finer aspects of pornographic puns."

Gibbs grinned, and shook his head.

"Ah, Jen," he muttered. He took another bite of the apple. "You don't care about her, I get that. If you don't, I'm not gonna care, so you want more information, or you get curious, from now on – you look her up, and you talk to your dad," he said firmly, standing up. "'M not gonna be the bad guy, or be the one who knows stuff you don't," he tossed her the rest of his apple. "You hear me, Jen?"

She caught the fruit, and looked at it.

"Eat more," he ordered, and bent down. He rested his hand on her shoulder, squeezed gently, and kissed her just above the ear. "You come to me for support on this," he muttered in her ear. "Not police work."

She swallowed and turned the apple in her hand, grudgingly accepting his words. He was right – it would only cause tensions if he kept being the go-between and she kept getting angrier and angrier.

She reached up and rested her hand on his cheek for a moment. She took a breath.

"Jethro," she said, as he was leaving.

He grunted.

"I'm going to stop by Dad's after work," she decided bluntly. "You got the kids?"

"'Course, Jen," he agreed.

Jenny nodded, and leaned forward heavily on her elbows, biting into the apple he'd half-eaten for her. She arched her brows.

"If Kimberly shows back up, call the police," she told him coolly.

He gave her a small salute, but something told him that other than showing up to shock Jenny for kicks, that woman had no intention of lurking around their house.

* * *

Jenny didn't waste much time sitting in her car and taking deep breaths or psyching herself up. She parked in the driveway, where she always used to park when she was a teenager, and she got her house key out just in case.

The door was unlocked, though, and the moment she entered her father's dog, Custer, bounded up to her, barking happily. She shut the door and smiled, crouching to scratch his ears affectionately.

"Hello, handsome," she cooed. She kissed his snout. "Oooh, you make me miss my Ike so much," she whispered, smiling fondly. She licked her lips and kissed Custer again, making a mental note to give into Gibbs – they _did_ need to get a dog, at some point.

"Noemi?" she called cautiously, standing up and smiling as Custer rubbed himself all over her legs.

Noemi came out of the kitchen and beamed, holding a mixing bowl in the nook of her arm. She leaned forward and kissed Jenny's cheek.

"Dad's car's in the drive," Jenny said, clanging warily into the study – it didn't look like he was in there, unless he was lurking in some shadowy liquor cabinet corner.

"Oh, he see you drive up," Noemi said wryly.

"Mm-hmm?" Jenny murmured, eyeing Noemi critically. "And he's – "

"He hiding, in back yard," Noemi answered. "He planting flowers," she added.

Jenny gave her a taken aback look – what an absurd thing for her father to be doing. She knew it was he who usually did the grounds keeping rather than Noemi – but planting flowers?

Jenny looked at Noemi in that silent surprise for a moment, and Noemi tilted her head.

"He be glad to see you," she ventured quietly. "He very upset, that Senora Shepard talk to you, that you got angry."

Jenny nodded tightly.

"Noemi," she requested politely. "She's not Senora Shepard. Don't give her that respect," she said curtly, and then slipped past with a small nod towards the door to the small, fenced in backyard – with Custer faithfully at her heels.

Her father was, as promised, kneeling on the grass near a flowerbed that Jenny thought hadn't been touched in years – and he'd uprooted all of the peonies that had flourished there since before she could remember. The bed looked like a graveyard, and he was doing it in his ACUs.

She folded her arms, let Custer go over and start nuzzling him, and when he looked up, she was staring at him. He took a deep breath, and sat back on his knees, looking at her for a moment – ignoring the dog.

She clenched her teeth, ignoring the anger that flared in her – she'd come to ask him what was going on, and Gibbs had reminded her that it was best not to jump right into outraged screams and accusations.

"Jennifer," he greeted neutrally.

She let the word hang for a moment.

"How was your evening, Dad?" she asked pointedly, clearly referring to last night.

He sighed warily, and put a hand on the ground, bracing himself as he winced and stood up. He brushed off his hands, taking off rough, leathery gardening gloves.

"Jennif—"

"No, no," she said coolly. "No, I'd like to tell you about mine. Some predictable mishap occurred with my daughters, and they were screaming – Gibbs was late getting home, and I had an exam, when the doorbell rings, and – "

"Jennifer, will you save me the sarcastic narration? Gibbs already called and filled me in."

"I'm sorry if hearing this inconveniences you," she said icily. "It probably isn't nearly as traumatic as someone you despise ambushing you in the safety of your home."

"She ambushed me, too, Jenny!"

Jenny snorted, skeptical. She swallowed, and shifted her weight.

"She just showed up, unannounced, out of the blue, after twenty-three years, and hopped and skipped to you, managed to hunt me down – for what, shits and giggles?"

She stared at her father, and then scoffed, turning her head and biting her lip. She shook her head in frustration. When she looked back, her father looked annoyed, but resigned, and she felt like she'd caught him.

"You knew she was coming," she said flatly.

He rubbed his jaw.

"Let's go in the house," he suggested.

Jenny grit her teeth, and then shrugged. She turned and led the way, storming right past Noemi, ignoring the delicious smell of dinner in the kitchen, and going right into the study, where she chucked her purse down on a chair and refused to sit down.

"Scotch?" Jasper offered dryly.

She shook her head.

"You knew she was coming," Jenny repeated.

"Jennifer, I didn't know a damn thing," snapped her father, pouring his own glass tiredly.

"You knew she was here!"

"And I was doin' my best to call you and talk to you about it!" he barked, turning from the liquor cabinet and holding out his hand. "I get any credit for that?"

"You waited long enough for her to take it upon herself to accost me at my house," she retorted, answering. "What's the point of _talking_ to me about it if you're going to tell the bitch where I live?"

The General leaned forward and gave her a hard, serious look.

"Jennifer, I did not tell Kimberly where you live," he stated, clearly and firmly.

Jenny parted her lips, and closed them. She doubted her father would look directly into her eyes and lie that coldly, so she was forced to accept he was telling the truth.

"I didn't tell her a goddamn thing about you," Jasper continued. "I told her any interaction would have to come directly from you."

Jenny turned her head sharply, angling her ear as if she'd heard wrong.

"You're suggesting she's here because she's interested in me?" she hissed sarcastically.

"I don't know why she tracked you down, Jenny, she didn't mention you when she showed up here!" he snapped.

Jenny swallowed hard, and then smiled a little – she didn't know whether to take that as a huge insult, or to simply be mildly and dully unsurprised by the fact. She felt a little of nothing, to be honest – nothing but the anger, both warranted and misplaced, that was boiling over her father.

"You don't know how she found out where I live – what my husband does for a living?" she demanded.

"I didn't tell her," he said, sitting down heavily. "Look, Jennifer," he paused. "I got into contact with her to get a divorce," he revealed shortly. "You think I saw this coming? That she'd wander back to D.C. after twenty three years?"

"If you contacted her, you knew you were opening lines of communication!" Jenny snorted. She leaned forward, put her hand on her father's desk. "You were married to her – you're the one who's so inexplicably moony for her you've let her use you for health insurance and military benefits, hopelessly in love with the woman who's the fucking poster child for abortion rights!"

Jenny saw the look on his face, and ignored it, riled up.

"You didn't think for a second she might get it in her empty head to come out here and beguile you into dropping a divorce proceeding? Why would she let you take away her free prescription drugs and safety net? Why the fuck are you suddenly getting divorced anyway, you didn't seem to think that was a good step to take when I was a kid, and looking to my father for an example of a healthy goddamn relationship!"

He stood up abruptly.

"Jennifer Morgan Shepard," he barked. "I don't give a damn how old you are, you won't swear at me like that," he snarled. He leaned forward. "You don't know half of what you're talking about," he said sharply.

He swallowed, pausing.

"I want to marry Noemi," he said finally. "_That's_ why I contacted her for a signature. The _papers_ have been drawn up since Anna was born."

Jenny's mouth popped open, and she felt like she'd been struck; felt her eyes sting like they were on fire.

"Dad," she said, and then stopped to steady her voice. "Dad – you – you're getting divorced behind my back, you're – I'm not naïve, I know you've always had a … thing with Noemi, and I love Noemi but you – you kept this from me – you did everything to downplay your relationship with her and now – it's serious enough for marriage? When the most explicit thing I've ever heard about you and her is that Gibbs saw you going at it in this study once?"

Jasper swallowed, his face flushing. His daughter stood in front of him, angry, and hurt, and confused, and he knew he'd made a mistake – in not warning her that he was seeking a divorce, in not disclosing the extent of his involvement with Noemi – his concern over never, ever burdening her with discussion of her mother had, because of Kimberly's disastrous whims, backfired miserably.

Jenny pushed her hair back, swallowing a few more times, trying not to cry. She felt – so blindsided by the seriousness of what was happening in her father's life: an absent mother had returned, seemed to be contesting a divorce, and Jenny knew nothing about it – had found out more from being ambushed by Kimberly than her own father.

He took a deep breath, downed some scotch.

"Jennifer," he began gruffly, his voice low. "I didn't want her here; I didn't want to bring her up to you," he said.

"I'm not weak, Daddy!" she burst out. "You're confusing my lack of desire to reconcile or know anything about her with an inability to discuss your life maturely!"

"Jesus Christ, Jennifer, you react so badly to her anytime she's brought up that I thought it best to leave you out of it!"

"So all of this was in my best interests? You should have warned me the minute she showed up, so I could think, be prepared – "

"I didn't think for a second she'd go looking for you – she didn't even mention you—"

"Of course she didn't mention me, she needed a lifetime break from me, she left me alone with grandparents I barely fucking knew when I was a little girl, she's pathetic, she's … she's a soulless piece of shit – "

"Jennifer, the only thing you know about her is that she left you," shouted the General, his eyes flashing. "I'm not gonna tolerate abusive language – "

"Towards the cunt who ruined my life?" she yelled over him. "I've got nothing but abusive language!"

Jasper straightened up, his face turning pale, his eyes hard with anger.

"Is that what you think I gave you, a ruined life?" he demanded harshly.

She caught her breath and winced.

"You think everything I did for you, to make sure you knew I loved you more than anything, that you knew you were the center of my life – meant nothing? Because your mother was out of the picture? You really think your life was ruined?"

"Dad," she said weakly.

"If that's what you think Jennifer, then you care about her and what she did to you a hell of a lot more than you pretend not to," he said nastily.

She pushed her hand through her hair, her eyes stinging. Her throat felt closed up, and she knew she'd let things get out of hand – she should have found a way to discuss this more evenly, but she couldn't right now; they were both too angry, and she knew her poorly chosen words had hurt him badly.

She touched her lips, and then picked up her purse, fumbling for her keys, and her phone.

There were two texts there; one, a photo from Gibbs, a picture of Katharyn holding the bunny – and another, asking her if she'd be home soon. She turned on her heel, phone clutched tightly in her hand, and stormed past Noemi, not speaking a word.

"Jennifer," shouted her father. "Jennifer – Goddamnit, be careful driving home, if you're upset – "

She barely heard him, but still, the tense, worried words made her stomach flip; she rarely fought with her father, and his paternal concern just reinforced the confusion and stress she was feeling over this, all of this.

She sat in the car long enough to choke down her tears and try to make sense of what had just happened, and then she took a deep breath, and she called her husband. She intended to tell him she was coming home, but when the phone answered, a sweet, high voice said.

"Hi, Mama!" and she heard Gibbs in the background say: "Kitty, say hi, too," and the baby babbled something, and Jenny put a hand over her heart, soothed a little by her daughter's voices, but suddenly struck, too, by how hurt she'd be if Anna or Katharyn ever made her feel like she'd just made her own father feel.

* * *

She got home to Gibbs cooking something that smelled amazing, and was a little awed by the fact that he'd apparently braved the grocery store on the way home with two little children in tow.

"You're braver than I am," she remarked admiringly, as she viewed the now full pantry with relief. She plucked a new bottle of wine from the counter and surveyed the label. "Mmm," she murmured approvingly; tiredly.

"For you," he muttered, pausing.

She smiled, and turned.

"So Katharyn finally held the bunny today?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "She sat in my lap and we held 'im together," he amended. "Shoulda seen Anna, Jen. She coaxed her not to be afraid."

Jenny smiled. She left the kitchen and went and sat down in the living room, where the girls were playing in their little pen. Anna got up and walked over to her primly, immediately beginning to play with her hair.

Gibbs didn't ask about her visit with her father; her composed, cool demeanor and casual conversation indicated she clearly couldn't talk about it right now, and they would have to wait until after the chaos of bedtime and bath time.

"Mama," Anna said. "Daddy get ice cream!"

"Did he?" Jenny asked, feigning wonder. "Wow, what a treat! I think if we're very nice to him he might let us have some after baths."

Anna squealed and bounced a little, and Jenny tilted her head.

"Katharyn," she cooed, wincing as Anna yanked the plastic comb through her hair. "Did you like petting Duffy?" she asked.

Katharyn veered forward, going from sitting to half-kneeling in an instant, her eyes on Jenny. Jenny smiled at her warmly, holding out her hands.

"Look at you," she murmured. "Thinkin' about crawling?"

Katharyn jolted forward again, smiled widely, and then – she did crawl forward, unsteadily, but with confidence, and she crawled right into Jenny's lap and giggled.

"Jethro," Jenny said quickly, looking up and catching his attention. "Beware – thing number two is mobile!"

He abandoned his cooking to come over and praise Katharyn a little with her, and then he was back in the kitchen, and she took care of feeding Katharyn and Anna ahead of time before they sat down to eat, discussing mundane tings over dinner like how the girls had behaved for Saydie, and whether or not they'd make it to Stillwater before the summer was over.

Miraculously, she got the girls to bed on time – even with Anna's abhorrence of baths and the fit that came with it – and she was surprised Gibbs left her alone while she half-heartedly removed make-up and changed into cotton shorts and an overlarge t-shirt of his.

She found him in the basement, and leaned against the bannister.

"Why aren't you pestering me?" she asked quietly.

"I don't pester," he grunted, glancing up at her.

She came down the stairs slowly, her hand skating the rail.

"Yes you do," she argued lightly. "_Pest_."

He snorted, sanding his aquatic project carefully, his eyes focused on some nicks Anna had left last time he spent time with her down here. Jenny wandered over to the cabinets and set down the bottle of wine he'd bought – that she'd brought with her. She poured some into a mason jar and inhaled it, breathing out tiredly.

She closed her eyes.

"Things didn't go well with Jasper?" Gibbs asked astutely, his back to her.

When she didn't answer for a long time, he straightened up and turned around. She had put down the jar of wine, and was staring hard up at the ceiling, her eyes full and wet. She shook her head, and he slipped the sander off of his hand.

"Jen," he said quietly, reaching for her shoulder. "Hey. Jen?"

She bowed her head, and he pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her with a concerned frown.

"We had a fight," she managed, starting to cry. She slid her hands up his chest and held onto his shoulders. "Bad fight, Jethro," she cried.

He nodded a little, running his hand up and down her spine soothingly. Her fingertips pressed into his shoulders hard.

"He got so defensive, and that pissed me off," she moaned, stuttering through an explanation. "He doesn't get that, he doesn't have that right to be so defensive – he said he contacted her to get a divorce," she choked out.

"That's good, isn't it?" Gibbs muttered gently, tangling his fingers in her hair. "Get rid of her."

Jenny nodded, but her hands clenched, frustrated. She pulled back.

"He – he didn't _tell_ me he was going to do that, it's out of the blue … and it's so he can _marry_ Noemi," her brow furrowed as tears spilled down her cheeks. "How could he not tell me - he thinks too well of Kimberly, he acted like she'd just sign the papers, but he should have told me there was a possibility," she broke off, looking away.

Gibbs leaned against her a little, pressing her into the counter. Her hands fell to his sides, and he continued playing with her hair, his eyes on her warily, sympathetically.

"You not want him to marry Noemi?"

"I love Noemi, I know he's had a thing with Noemi – fuck, everyone knows that, he's just always thought it would offend me or – well I don't know what his reasoning has been, but Noemi's more important to me than Kimberly could ever be and he just …" she paused, biting her lip and looking up. "I feel…it bothers me, Jethro, what if – what if I'd just … married you, and flippantly told him later?"

Gibbs nodded. He understood where she was coming from, and seeing her like this made him incredibly angry at Jasper. He forgot, to an extent, how distraught the General had been when Gibbs had called him, and saw only red from the state Jenny was in.

Jenny pushed her hair back and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Kimberly's lurking in the city somewhere," she said nastily, her voice cracking, "I'm fighting with my father, work's a mess, I've got a full day of classes tomorrow – I just don't understand – I don't fucking understand how he could try and keep all this under wraps!"

Gibbs squeezed her shoulders and leaned forward, kissing her comfortingly. She put her arms around his neck and accepted this kiss, lowering her forehead to his shoulder when she needed to breathe.

"I made things worse going over there," she mumbled, stricken. Her jaw tightened. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she growled, frustrated. "I hate her, Jethro. I hate her, and I think he … no matter what he says, I think he feels like it's going to be some heartfelt reconciliation, some chance for me to understand her and he doesn't understand how savagely I," she swallowed hard, her voice cracking, "I _hate_ her."

Gibbs caught her eye, and she bit her lip.

"It's not just the leaving," she hissed. "You know, I … I was six, it's not that young. I remember being ignored, being pushed around, I remember the constantly irritated tone in her voice – she scared me. I was a little girl, and she scared me, and then she left me, and I didn't know what I did wrong."

Gibbs listened intently – Jenny had never mentioned anything this fundamentally raw concerning her mother, or anything she remembered of her.

"I told Dad she'd ruined my life," Jenny said in a small, guilty voice, "but she means nothing to me. I never missed her," she paused, and in a very soft voice, she said: "She was _mean_ to me."

Gibbs pushed her hair back and handed her the jar of wine, watching her calm down a moment. He ran his thumbs under her eyes and over her lips, brushing her face dry with his palm and fingers.

"Jen, you 'n' your Dad will fix this," he said gruffly. "Take a day or two to calm down – deal with it Saturday," he suggested.

She took a deep breath, and leaned back, abandoning the wine again. She didn't really feel like drinking. She licked her lips and blinked her eyes, reaching up to wipe them herself. Black mascara residue stained her fingers, and she snorted at her terrible job removing makeup.

She reached out and took Gibbs' hand, holding it tightly, silently thanking him for his support. He gave her a small, wry smile, trying to get her to buck up.

"Jen," he said gruffly. "Jen, Katharyn started crawling today," he reminded her. "Think about that for a while."

She leaned forward and hugged him, smiling into his shoulder. He kissed her temple, asked her quietly if she wanted to go upstairs, watch late night television or something. She shook her head.

She put her hands on his neck instead, leaning in to kiss him possessively, passionately, and his arms went around her waist, pulling her tight to him.

He knew this was hard on her, and he hoped some sleep and affection and some time to think and cool off would help – he couldn't handle her fighting with her father; that was his wheelhouse as obnoxious son-in-law, and even then, it was just in friendly jest.

* * *

_Summer, 2019_

* * *

_-alexandra_


	4. Daisy Buchanan

_a/n:there's a guy i used from canon NCIS at the end of this that i totally forgot i used and i screamed when i edited it_

* * *

**Daisy Buchanan **

_Washington D.C. / Alexandria Virginia  
Summer 2019_

* * *

The first thing Jasper Shepard had done after his daughter had fled and left him furious and wounded all at once was try to contact his flighty ex-wife – and for the whole night, he'd only gotten a flirty, breathy voicemail. He left messages for her there; he left messages for her with the concierge at her hotel, and then he damn near went ballistic when he had nothing to do but seethe and try and listen to Noemi when she stopped him from breaking into her hotel room and waiting for her – or driving right over to Jenny's house and setting his daughter straight like he used to when she was a kid.

He felt out of his element with this entire situation – he and Jenny very rarely fought, and he couldn't actually remember one this big since she'd just started dating Gibbs. And then, she'd been a minor, very aware that he was in the right, and this time the line was blurred.

She was an adult, and she had certain rights to be angry with him, and to call him out, that hadn't been hers when she was a teenager – before she'd gotten married and had children and found her own wisdom in life. He knew she had made good points, and to avoid any introspection on those remarks, he focused on getting through the day at the Pentagon and waiting tensely, like some starved jungle animal, for Kimberly to make contact.

When he got home that evening, Noemi greeted him pleasantly but slightly apologetically in the driveway.

"She come over, maybe half hour ago," she told him.

The General grit his teeth.

"I offer her some dinner, but she say she ate – "

"Noemi, don't offer her dinner," he said, a little tensely. "You don't serve her."

"Not serve, being polite," Noemi said softly. She put her hand on his chest gently. "I go to see Eduardo," she told him, speaking of her nephew. "I teaching him how to braid his little daughter's hair."

Jasper was tempted to demand she stay, but he wasn't going to make Noemi do anything she didn't want to – and Noemi had been placid and calm about this whole monkey-wrenched thing.

"I'll call you later," he muttered, leaning forward and kissing Noemi's forehead.

She started off down the street – Noemi disliked driving, she'd never had a car once she came to D.C., and he went up to his house, thrusting the door open violently.

Kimberly was coming down the stairs lightly, her feet bare, sparkling with some new pedicure, her hair curled and dyed and stiff looking, teased around her shimmery, made-up face.

She wiggled her fingers at him in a wave and swung off the last step, engulfing him in the perfume he'd never forgotten, giving him a quick, wry look before sauntering towards the study, a short, cotton candy blue dress barely covering her.

"Where the hell have you been, Kim?" he demanded, unbuttoning his ACU jacket. He grit his teeth, refusing to wait for an answer. "What the hell were you doing upstairs?"

"Exploring," she said airily, perusing his liquor cabinet – he caught her doing so as he entered the study, and he moved in front of her, careful not to rough her up as he passed but making it clear the alcohol was off limits.

She gave him a look, and turned on her heel, waltzing over to the fireplace and leaning against it.

"I always did prefer to catch you off guard, Perry," she said smoothly, and then cocked an eyebrow. "You needed to cool off, anyway," she added a little dryly.

Her lips puckered, and he scowled.

"Kim, I've had it up to here with you –"

"Jesus, don't talk to me like you're my father," she interrupted airily. She crossed her arms and sighed, leaning back heavily against the mantle. "How can you have _had it_?" she snickered. "You've seen me once since I graced you with my presence."

"You went to my daughter's house!" bellowed Jasper, losing his temper. "I told you, any communication would come from her, and her alone – "

"You never told me to stay away from her," Kimberly pointed out. She gave him a nasty sort of look. "You jumped my ass for not asking about her, and now you want to crucify me for showing some interest?"

"_Interest_, is that what you call it?" snarled the General. "Playing a mind game with me? Trying to prove me wrong at her expense?"

Kimberly reached up and tucked her curled, hair sprayed hair back a moment, licking her lips.

"You didn't teach her much when it comes to manners," she said condescendingly. "She threatened me with the police," Kimberly sneered. "I guess my parents were right after all; little girls do need cotillion –"

"Kim, if you think her reaction to you had anything to do with what I taught her, you've got another thing comin'," Jasper said tightly. He gripped the edge of his desk. "I told you to let me call her and ask if she was interested in seeing you!"

"I don't have time to waste away and wait for _Jennifer_ to decide what she wants," Kimberly said flippantly.

She sighed and licked her lips again, shrugging.

"You're the one who suggested I make an effort."

"That isn't what I suggested, you twisted my words – I expressed my disbelief that you had absolutely no concern for your own flesh and blood – "

"I'm not hearing a difference."

"You never were very bright," snarled the General, and Kimberly's eyes flashed angrily.

"Don't call me stupid, Perry; you know better than that," she hissed.

Her lips trembled angrily, stubbornly, and she messed with her hair again, biting her lower lip tensely and then tilting her head.

"You used to understand me," she said to him, her eyes flashing, and then her mouth forming into something softer, as if she would try to seduce him. "You listened to me – Jasper, you're acting like you didn't fall in love with exactly who I am."

He grit his teeth, ignoring the onslaught of memories. He wasn't going to deny the way he'd used to feel about Kimberly – the way he had felt, even after she'd left, for years and years – but that had all died now; he was a different man, and the problem was precisely that she had never outgrown her wild nineteenth year.

"You didn't grow up," he said to her flatly, sitting down. He poured himself a drink. "We had a baby, Kimberly," he said curtly. "I stepped up to that plate." He looked up at her, his jaw tight, angry. "I didn't understand everything about you," he snapped. "I never understood how you could not care about that baby."

She looked at him blankly, and she shrugged.

"She was a lot of trouble," she said brutally, "and you were always off living your life and everyone expected me to be this reformed little housewife. I never wanted that."

"I wasn't out drinking and partying, Kimberly, I was at war! I was doing every single damn thing I could to put food on the table and heat in the house, after your parents cut you off!" he said, his voice rising again. "You couldn't even half-ass motherhood!"

"For God's sake, it's not like I beat her or let strange men hang around her!" Kimberly retorted, annoyed. "I didn't want to be a fuckin' mother, she was better off with me leaving – "

"That's the most truthful goddamn thing you've ever said," interrupted Jasper coldly, " and it doesn't change what you did to her."

The bottle blonde closed her mouth and looked at him defiantly; she seemed brazen, annoyed with being criticized – and it was clear she was unapologetic. She grit her teeth, and then shrugged.

"You dragged me back out here to run me over the coals," she said flippantly. She pursed her lips. "Hotshot General now, no more hazard deployments for shitty pay."

"I contacted you to get divorce papers signed," Jasper said in a low voice. "You took it upon yourself to fly out here. You brought this on yourself – you had to know I'd moved on. You're deluded enough to thrive on being picked apart; that's on you."

"Moved on?" Kimberly asked lightly. "Moved on, is that why you didn't divorce me for over twenty years? Let me use your health care, military I.D. benefits," she smiled fetchingly. "You were always smitten with me, Perry," she sighed. "I always liked that about you."

He sat back, rubbing his jaw, his eyes hard and angry. She tilted her head up, eyeing the ceiling.

"If Jennifer has her own fancy house and fancy husband, why's her room upstairs still all cutesy and decorated?" she asked. She put her tongue between her teeth and leaned forward. "She's got kids, doesn't she?"

Jasper looked at her, silent. He didn't answer.

"I saw the picture of you holding a newborn," Kimberly went on, conversationally. "Time stamped … eight or so months ago?" she guessed. "You look older, Perry, but I can't wrap my head around having grandkids," she laughed, and Jasper sat forward.

"You don't," he said shortly. "If there's one thing I can promise you – it's that even if Jennifer wanted a split second to have you to herself, to let you have it, she'd never let you set eyes on those little girls."

Kimberly pursed her lips.

"Don't challenge me, Jasper," she said lightly, her voice like a soft song. "I can be very convincing, if you remember. All little girls need their mothers," she recited, a little sarcastic, implying she could drive some wedge further between him and Jenny.

At that, though, Jasper could only smile grimly.

"You don't know Jennifer," he said firmly.

It was a sad state of affairs that it was true in so many ways, but he was glad of it – Kimberly really didn't understand that women could be different from her; that some women were stronger than primal emotions and whims.

He sighed, and rubbed his face. He leaned forward on his desk.

"Kimberly," he said gruffly, tensely. "We are getting divorced," he told her, point-blank. "I'm not opposed to discussing terms with you, but I don't want you here much longer," he said flatly. "You're putting a strain on the relationship between me and my daughter, and regardless of your feelings about motherhood, she means the world to me."

"Sweet," Kimberly murmured flippantly. "You wouldn't have her if it weren't for me."

He swore, frustrated, under his breath, and held his hand over his eyes a moment.

Kimberly walked over, and leaned on his desk, waiting until he looked up. He was about to speak, when he heard his dog go charging from the kitchen to the front door, and then the stained-glass wood opened and Gibbs walked in.

The General bit back a groan, and looked up at the ceiling. Kimberly noticed his discomfort, and turned around. She straightened, and placed a hand on her hip as Gibbs strolled forward, scratching the ears of the dog at his heels.

He'd only caught a glimpse of her when she'd been on his porch, but here she stood without her infamous purple contacts, and the bottle blonde in her hair was faded, and he had to stop himself from arching his brows because – she _did_ look like Jenny, no matter how much Jen would hate to hear that.

Gibbs stopped in the doorway, and his father-in-law looked at him bleakly before standing up.

"You need to go," he said.

Kimberly inclined her head.

"We're having a private conversation," she said, winking, and gesturing between herself and Jasper.

"I'm not talkin' to him," Jasper snapped tensely, catching Kimberly's eye. "You," he said. "Go."

Her lips pursed, and she gave him a short glare. His expression didn't waver, and Kimberly turned, hand still on her hip as she surveyed Gibbs.

"You're the Marine husband," she said with nonchalance. "I always liked 'em in uniform, too," she confided.

Gibbs said nothing, but Jasper noted the corner of his mouth turned up in a small, dangerous little smile.

The dog sat at his feet and let out a low, distressed growl – the General was mildly impressed at Gibbs' ability to silently command that. Custer wasn't even his goddamn dog.

Kimberly stepped forward, crossing her arms and prowling towards Gibbs.

"What about you?" she asked. "You think Jennifer won't be tempted by me?"

Jasper thought Gibbs was going to stay silent again, but he answered.

"I don't speak for my wife," he said neutrally.

Kimberly laughed.

"Whipped," she provoked. "She must be like her mother, then," she said, throwing a taunting look at Jasper.

"I doubt that," was Gibbs' cool, wry response.

"Kim," Jasper said curtly.

He walked around the desk and indicated he wanted to take her to the door. Gibbs stepped aside, coaxing the dog with him, and she stopped in front of him, making Jasper wait.

"It was easy for her to marry a Marine," she said, laughing a little. "She got all my parents' money – they always just loved perfect little Jennifer."

The amount of animosity in Kimberly's voice – towards a child—brought a sour look to Jasper's face, and he led her out. He took her arm, firmly, but not roughly, and Gibbs caught her eye before she walked away.

"How'd you get our address?" he asked curtly. "Couldn't know her married name."

She looked at him like he was pathetic.

"Wedding announcement," she said airily. She pointed her finger sarcastically. "Proud Daddy made it all too easy."

Jasper pulled her away authoritatively. He shared harsh words with her in the foyer – they seemed to have a small disagreement, and then she nodded, and smirked at him, and Gibbs turned his head towards the dog as she put her hand on his neck and had the audacity to lean up and kiss his jaw.

Gibbs ignored it, and strolled to the bookshelf, looking at the worn spines. He hadn't intended to walk in on anything; he'd stopped by on a whim and hadn't really considered that Jasper might be dealing with all of this.

The front door slammed violently, and Jasper came marching back into the study. He ignored Gibbs for a moment and then poured another drink, pouring a large measure. He peered at Gibbs over the rim, and cleared his throat.

"Did she put a hit out on me?" he asked grimly.

Gibbs smirked.

"Hell, Jasper," he retorted. "'M a sniper. If she wanted me to kill you, you'd never see it coming."

Jasper grunted, and gestured for Gibbs to sit down. He silently offered him some scotch, and Gibbs declined, though he did take a seat on the edge of a chair and continue to pay some attention to the dog. He took a moment to look down at Custer and make him feel loved, and then looked up, pausing.

"Didn't mean to walk in on anything," he said sincerely.

"You didn't," the General answered bluntly. "She was wanderin' around the house when I got home."

"Seems to be a habit."

"Ha," Jasper laughed tiredly.

"She still has a key?" Gibbs ventured casually.

"Her name's still on the goddamn sale," muttered Jasper.

Gibbs arched a brow.

"Keep it to yourself, boy," snapped Jasper sheepishly, ignoring the look. He sighed heavily, and he rubbed his forehead and held his hand out expectantly, moving his fingers in a jerky motion. "C'mon, out with it."

Gibbs shrugged.

"She sent you over here to deal with me, didn't she?"

"Jen doesn't know I'm here."

The General looked up warily. He eyed Gibbs intently for a moment, and then finished his scotch.

"I don't think I like that, you goin' behind her back."

Gibbs didn't like that comment, but he didn't rise to it – not in the way the General probably expected him to.

"'M not doin' anything behind her back," Gibbs said. "You think she told me to shun you, issued some sort of fatwa?"

His father-in-law looked at him skeptically, and Gibbs grinned a little; clearly, the fight had been bad enough for him to expect something of the sort. Gibbs shook his head and sat back, leaning against the back of the chair lazily. He thought about why he was here a moment, then chose his words carefully.

"She's upset, Jasper," he said. "Jen's been juggling a lot since Kate was born, and this didn't ice the cake."

Jasper pointed to himself.

"I know that," he snapped. "I didn't mean for any of this to affect her. I wanted a signature, and the chance to tell Jen I'd put it behind me," he stopped as Gibbs leaned forward again and held up his hand audaciously.

"'M not blamin' you for anything," he muttered. "I don't think you did anything on purpose, to piss her off. Her head's a mess right now, but she'll come to that conclusion."

"You came over here to tell me how to deal with the daughter I raised?" snapped Jasper. "As if I don't know how she deals with stress."

"Colonel," Gibbs said, a little curtly – an old habit that died hard – "You may know how a college Jenny reacted to stress, but you don't have a damn clue how the law student, NCIS employee, wife, mother of two Jenny reacts. There's a big difference."

Jasper swallowed tensely, and inclined his head, waiting.

"You gonna tell me what it is?" he asked finally.

"No," Gibbs said flatly. "Between me 'n' her." He put his hands on his knees though, holding them out as if he were showing Jasper something. "I don't know what you two said to each other, and it's none of my business, but she was miserable last night," he said flatly. "The kind of miserable where she goes to rock the crying baby, and the baby cries louder 'cause Jen's so damn tense."

Jasper grimaced. He remembered that – that was the sort of thing he could relate to; Kimberly had never once been able to quiet a distressed baby Jennifer.

"You were thinkin' of callin' her, comin' over?" Gibbs guessed.

The General looked at him warily, and then inclined his head.

"I figured I'd get her to take her lunch break with me, while the kids are nappin' tomorrow," he confessed.

Gibbs shook his head.

"She's not goin' in tomorrow," he said. "I convinced her to take the day, play with the kids, do some homework," he shrugged. "Leon's gonna babysit so I can take 'er out tomorrow night," he added.

His father-in-law kept looking at him intently, waiting for him to get to the point.

"She doesn't want me to have the kids," he stated flatly.

"It's not you," Gibbs said pointedly. "It's Kimberly."

Shepard nodded, accepting that without question. He suspected Jenny was angry enough with him to withhold his granddaughters, but he, also, didn't want them anywhere near Kimberly Shepard.

"Look, Jasper," Gibbs said. "I want her to cool down, get her head on straight," he hesitated, and then gave Jasper a grudging look. "Turns out, the two of you at each other's throats bothers me," he muttered reluctantly.

At that, and only at that, Jasper grinned smugly. He leaned back, folding his hands behind his head momentarily, letting that sink in. Then he let the smile fade a little, and nodded.

"Wanted to ask you to let 'er be," Gibbs said finally, shrugging. "Try and keep Kimberly away from our house," he added, a little dangerously.

The General's face was dark.

"That, I can do this time," he promised.

Gibbs looked at him dubiously.

Jasper smiled grimly.

"She's gonna ask me to keep assisting in her health care in this divorce," he promised distastefully. "I'll make it clear that if she ever approaches Jen or you or anyone without express invitation again, I won't give it to her."

Gibbs seemed satisfied by that, and nodded. He looked down and rubbed the dog a little more, smirking at him. Jasper cleared his throat, and sighed, running his finger around the rim of his scotch glass. He looked like he would say something, and then he grunted, and changed course.

"Tell my grandkids I love 'em," he said, knowing he didn't have to tell Jenny he loved her; she would know.

Gibbs nodded, and stood up. He snorted a little, and glanced towards the door, then back at Jasper.

"So," he drawled. "That's her?"

Jasper looked at him balefully.

"Yeah," he sighed sourly. "The infamous Kimberly," he titled his head, his face dark. He scowled. "You wonderin' what I saw in her?"

"Nah," Gibbs shrugged, thinking mildly of a girl named Shannon. He flashed a smirk. "Jen says I got a savior complex, too."

His father-in-law glared at him.

"Get out, Corporal Kiss-Ass."

Gibbs grinned, and gave him a respectful, small salute, striding towards the front of the house to leave, and head home with the honest intention to tell Jen he'd mildly intervened with her father, if only to give her some peace for a day.

* * *

Jenny leafed half-heartedly through a file of case law as she waited for Gibbs to come back to bed. Katharyn was waking up uncharacteristically often tonight; most likely do to a bad flare up of eczema. It was hot outside, and she probably wasn't staying cool enough.

He reappeared after ten minutes, shut the door, and threw himself on the bed face down, groaning.

"Is she asleep, or did you just sneak out?"

"I rocked her back to sleep," he confessed, with an edge of drama.

She reached over and scratched his head, pretending to pet him like a dog.

"Good boy," she teased, and then ran her hand over his neck affectionately. "No harm in coddling her once in a while."

"Stripped her down to a diaper," he said into the pillows. "Turned the air up a little, left her door open – keep her cooler, maybe."

Jenny nodded. She pushed her things aside, placing them on the bedside table, and rolled onto her side, inching closer to him. She buried her lips in his shoulder and tugged on him a little, coaxing him to look at her.

"_Psst_," she whispered flirtatiously. "You think we've got time to have sex, before she wakes up again?"

He laughed, and then shifted, rolling onto his side. He looked at her a moment, and then propped his head up on his arm, drawing his knees up a little.

"Can't have sex," he grunted.

She mimicked his position, and arched her brows.

"Who are you, and what did you do with my husband?" she asked, in disbelief.

"Nah, got to talk to you first," he answered simply. He smirked. "You might banish me to the couch."

"Jethro, why can't you be a normal, jerk husband and piss me off _after_ you get laid?" she whined, sighing heavily.

He shrugged; because he wasn't a jerk – besides, he'd done things like that before, and he'd decided it wasn't in his best interests to repeat such behavior in the future.

Jenny wrinkled her nose warily.

"What did you do?" she asked, resigned. "Did you drop Katharyn?"

"_No_," he retorted, giving her an annoyed look.

"Did you," she began, fishing around for something, "get another meritorious service award, forget to tell me and skip the ceremony … again?"

He laughed.

"No," he answered, deciding to cut her off before she could get progressively more ridiculous with her ruminations. He paused. "I stopped by your dad's 'fore I came home," he said bluntly.

The crinkle in her nose relaxed for a moment, and then it returned, and she frowned at him. She looked at him for a long moment, without blinking, without moving, and then she sighed shortly, and lifted her shoulder a little.

"I thought you said you didn't want to be in the middle," she remarked quietly.

"'S'not why I went over," he said calmly. "I was thinkin' – "

"Why didn't you tell me you were going there when I called and asked you to stop for apple juice?"

He shrugged.

"I'd already left," he said. "It was a short visit."

She compressed her lips. He took that as an indication that she didn't mind listening to more.

"Wasn't tryin' to mediate or strike up deals," he told her flatly. "I figured he'd be ready to burst in here tryin' to fix things, and you 'n' me already decided you want a day or two to get your head on."

Jenny nodded.

"I asked him to give you that," Gibbs said. He paused, and shifted a little, flexing his wrist and then resting his head back on his palm. "Told 'im to make sure she stays away from you."

Jenny turned up her nose a little.

"He doesn't seem capable of that."

"He didn't know, Jen," Gibbs said sincerely. "He didn't tell her anything about you. She found our wedding announcement."

"He told you that?"

Gibbs looked at her intently a moment, wondering how well this next part of the conversation would go.

"She did."

His wife's eyes widened a little, and her cheeks seemed to flush and drain at once. She parted her lips, staring at him in surprise, maybe a little anger, and he waited for her to say something. She turned over and sat up, bracing her hands behind her and looking forward.

"Did you know she would be there?"

"No," he answered seriously. "Your Dad didn't know I was gonna show up," he added, a little sheepishly.

"What the fuck was she doing there?" Jenny fumed to herself. "You know, he goes on about how he wants to get rid of her, marry Noemi – but she's hanging out at his house in the evening – "

"Don't think she was havin' much fun," Gibbs interrupted dryly. "He was kickin' her out when I got there."

Jenny shrugged a little, her mouth still tight. She grit her teeth, swallowed, and then sat back, leaning against the headboard and slouching back.

"I'm not mad at you," she muttered, sincere but short.

Gibbs nodded, watching her. She twitched her nose, and then rubbed her forehead, pushing two hands back through her hair in frustration. She breathed out heavily, and then looked over at him.

She blinked sharply.

"Well?" she enunciated crisply. "What did you think of her?"

Gibbs shook his head, his lips turning down with nonchalance.

"Nothin'," he said gruffly – and it was the _damn_ honest truth; he hadn't thought that woman was worth a second thought.

She smirked a little triumphantly.

"You always thought I was being unreasonably malicious about her," she said quietly. "Do you get it now?"

He didn't say anything, but he reached for her arm and tugged on her elbow, pulling her back down to him. He shifted, and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes and let him be possessive, clearing her head.

"'M taking Anna and Katharyn to the National Mall for a lunch picnic tomorrow," she said – she'd decided it would be a nice, relaxing way to spend the day Jethro was essentially making her take to herself and the kids. "Meet us?"

He nodded, with a quiet grunt that conveyed he would if the cases weren't too heavy or too much to get away from. She ran her hand lazily over his chest, secretly relieved he'd convinced her to take a sick day from NCIS and leave her schoolwork until Sunday.

She opened her eyes and rolled towards him closer, sliding her hand under his t-shirt.

"You took a gamble, tellin' me that when I was trying to make a move," she murmured, and grinned. "Four letter word that rhymes with 'luck'?" she whispered hoarsely.

He grinned, and drew his hand down over her stomach to the tie on her short pajama pants. She ran her hand over his jaw and then down his abdomen –

"_Dada! MAMA!"_

-and Katharyn started crying again.

* * *

The hot summer weather did tend to bother the baby's skin more than anything, so Jenny made sure Katharyn was wearing a breezy little sundress when she took the girls for a midday picnic. Anna, not to be outdone, insisted on wearing one, too.

"You know what your job is, little girl?" Jenny asked Anna, mater-of-fact.

Anna peered at her cutely, and put her hand under her chin, thinking.

"No run off!" she declared smartly.

Jenny nodded.

"No run off," she agreed. "You don't go anywhere Mommy can't see you, and you remember that just because you see Mommy, doesn't mean you're close enough."

"Ask," Anna piped up. "'Say – 'Mommy, _here_!'"

Jenny nodded again; she was relieved Anna had gotten more vocal of late. It wasn't that she'd had developmental speech problems – she'd just been more like her father in that she chose not to speak unless she found it absolutely necessary.

"You make me proud," Jenny praised. She crossed her legs and pulled Katharyn into her lap, making a place for her between her ankles and her stomach, effectively caging her in. "I have a new job for you, though," she revealed.

Anna widened her blue eyes, and gasped dramatically. Jenny laughed.

"You get to help me make sure Miss Sister doesn't crawl off," she said, "because she's crawling now, and you bet she'll make a break for it."

Anna nodded rapidly. She lunged forward on her knees and peered at her sister sternly, crinkling her nose.

"No-run-off-Katty," she said clearly, enunciating. "Stay!"

Katharyn stared at her, and then grinned and clapped her hands right in Anna's face. Anna stuck her tongue out and sat back.

"Anna."

Anna sucked her tongue back into her mouth and got up, prancing a little unsteadily over to the stroller where Jenny had packed a small cooler and a small picnic basket.

Katharyn turned her head and looked up at Jenny, blinking peacefully. She babbled contently, and Jenny smiled and stroked her soft, light hair – Katharyn's hair was so light she was almost sure it was going to be on the blonde side of red, and that fascinated her.

"You hungry, or do you want to play a little bit?" Jenny asked Anna.

"Mama," Anna responded. "Where Daddy?"

"Oh, he'll be around in a few minutes, I think," she answered brightly.

Katharyn put her hand out and pointed at something.

"Ah!" she screeched, a smile on her face. Anna swiveled around and bounced up and down.

"Puppy!" Anna squealed. She got up and darted towards the dog.

"Anna Abigayle Gibbs!" shouted Jenny, trying to react as quickly as possible with the baby in her lap.

She'd half gotten up when Gibbs appeared virtually out of nowhere and intercepted Anna, sweeping her up and hanging her over his arm easily. She giggled, sprawled over his forearm like something as light as a towel, and she kicked her feet.

"Daddy!" she protested loudly, trying to point. "Puppy!"

"That's not a puppy," he said, stopping at the edge of the blanket and shifting her so he could look at her sternly. "That's a big dog; grown-up dog. They can bite," he told her seriously. "You don't go up to strange dogs unless their owner says it's okay."

Anna pursed her lips at him and frowned, struggling to get down. He put her down, but put his hand on her head and turned her towards the picnic blanket.

"What do you tell Mommy?" he asked.

She put her hands on her cheeks and winced.

"Sorry!" she murmured obediently – she just now remembered she wasn't supposed to run away.

Gibbs patted her head and sat down heavily. Jenny gave Anna a stern look and then lifted Katharyn into a standing position and made her wave at Gibbs, grinning. He smiled and put his hands out.

Jenny let Katharyn crawl towards him, and pulled the stroller towards her, taking out a bottle. She tossed it to Gibbs for the baby, and he eyed it curiously.

"Are we weaning?" he asked, trying to figure out if he'd missed something.

"Not purposely," Jenny muttered. "That's mine, but I've been relying on bottles more because I'm so busy."

"Huh," he grunted, and showed it to Katharyn, making it dance around a little to entice her. "Hungry?" he asked.

"I didn't want to breastfeed in the park," Jenny added.

Gibbs nodded. Katharyn crawled unsteadily into his lap and reached for the bottle. He swept her up, sitting her on his knee and using his arm to support her, and handed it to her. She used two hands to hold it, and Gibbs held the bottom of the bottle loosely to help her out.

He looked over at Anna and grinned.

"I told you we should get a dog," he said in a low voice.

"Don't give her any ideas," Jenny retorted, glaring. "A dog would eat the bunny."

"Not if I showed it who's boss!"

"Who's the boss, Jethro?" she retorted.

He started to retort, and then gave her a sheepish look. She grinned smugly, and fished around in the cooler. She fixed Anna a juice box and got out a napkin to lay the two-year-old's apple slices and peanut butter and jelly sandwich on.

"What's the case at work?"

Gibbs gave her a long-suffering look.

"Some idiot smuggled a koala onto a submarine."

Jenny burst out laughing. He rolled his eyes – it sounded silly, but really the case was a nightmare. It wasn't exactly easy to get authorization to recall a U.S. submarine, and in the meantime a possible diseased koala was gallivanting around a tight quartered metal tube.

"I am glad I missed that one," Jenny snorted.

"Wouldn't need you for it, anyway, 'less you suddenly speak koala."

Jenny wrinkled her nose in amusement and stretched out, laying down on her side as she watched Anna meticulously eat her food – Anna was a very good eater; she had never been too messy, and she never had to be fought with to get her food down.

"They don't seem upset with me for all the recent _sick_ days?"

Gibbs shrugged.

"Kevin's loving the overtime," he said honestly.

Jenny nodded. She reached out and played with Anna's curls, watching Gibbs feed the baby. She chewed on her bottom lip, relieved that it wasn't causing a problem, and glad she'd been able to sort of relax today—as much as she could relax, with two very small children to keep up with.

"Are you sure Leon and Jackie don't mind watching them tonight?"

"Kayla wants to watch 'em," Gibbs grunted. "Leon says she's all in to some babysitters' club. I figured if we let her think she's babysitting, we can start usin' Kayla instead of Stephen later on."

"I don't understand why you and Dad won't get over your hatred of Stephen," Jenny said dryly. "Anna _loves_ him."

"'Cause I don't get why a teenage guy wants to watch little girls 'stead of playin' football – "

"God, Jethro, that's so outdated. I pay him well! I pay him more than minimum wage, and that's damn good incentive!"

Gibbs grumbled to himself, and Jenny rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Honey, I love Kayla as much as you do, but she's ten – and _The Babysitters' Club_ is a book series. She'll be a fantastic babysitter when she's fourteen or so, but right now I'm not leaving an infant and a terrible two with anyone who can't drive a car to a hospital."

"Can't we find some cheerleader to watch them?"

"What kind of fantasy is that?" Jenny demanded.

"That's not what I mean!"

"You can't fool me, Jethro," she teased wryly. "I know you love teenage girls," she wiggled her eyebrows, and gestured to herself suggestively.

He gave her an annoyed look and turned his attention pointedly to the baby.

"Anna threw up on Stephen once, and he laughed, gave her some sprite, put her to bed, watched her temperature, and didn't even call us freaking out," Jenny said with finality. "I am not giving that up."

Gibbs mumbled something in petulant annoyance and Jenny just laughed at him – she never could quite figure out if her father and Gibbs actually hated Stephen the Male Babysitter, or if it was just for show, but regardless, she ignored both of them on the topic.

"'M gonna buy a nanny cam."

"No, you're not."

"You can't stop me."

"Jethro, do you want to get divorced?"

He glared at her, and she arched an eyebrow – there was no way she was condoning any spying on the babysitter. She wouldn't ever allow someone she didn't trust around her children.

He moved his mouth like he was mimicking her, and Katharyn pushed her bottle away. He eyed her in surprise, and swirled around the milk, of which there was nearly half left.

"Don't force her," Jenny said mildly. She sat forward a little, and pulled a bag of animal crackers out of the stroller. "Here."

Gibbs took those obediently, and abandoned the bottle. Anna sat forward and grabbed it.

"Anna, don't do that," Jenny said lazily.

Anna ignored her and abandoned her juice box, and started to finish Katharyn's bottle. Gibbs arched his eyebrows at her.

"Kids are weird," he said.

Jenny shrugged, and nodded. She smirked a little, and lightly swatted Anna's hand, wrestling the bottle away – Anna's mild jealousy of her baby sister expressed itself in odd ways, and Jenny was more in favor of passively correcting it. Gibbs summed it all up in the best way though –

Kids were just weird.

Jenny sighed, and pushed her hair back.

"I'm going over to Dad's tomorrow," she said. "Mid-day."

Gibbs nodded, his eyes meeting hers. It was a Saturday, and his team wasn't on duty, so he was free to watch the kids with her.

"Think we'll plant Kate's flowers, then," he said – he'd planted sunflowers for Jenny, when Anna was born.

Jenny nodded, smiling softly.

"What did you decide on?"

"Violets," Gibbs said gruffly.

Jenny smiled at him, and tilted her head.

"Dad was planting flowers when I went over the other day," she murmured, suddenly remembering. Her brow furrowed – she wondered what that had been about?

"You'll figure it out with 'im, Jen," Gibbs said gruffly, supportively.

She nodded, already feeling a little more level-headed about the whole affair – and ready to apologize for mistakenly insinuating that her life had somehow been lacking.

* * *

By Saturday afternoon, she was feeling a lot less hostile in general, and a lot more conciliatory. She didn't leave to go to Georgetown particularly early, because she wanted to give her father time to enjoy his morning. When she left, casually dressed and a little anxious, Gibbs was in the backyard letting Anna 'help' him plant violets, and Katharyn was in a playpen,'talking' to the rabbit.

She used the short drive to Georgetown to carefully make a mental list of what she needed to find out, and she kept reminding herself to keep calm no matter what and make sure they got this figured out.

She parked on the street, and checked the mail for him – it hadn't come yet. She was almost to the porch when Noemi came around from the back, a large straw hat on her head and a watering can in her hand.

"Ah, Miss Jenny!" she called.

"Jenny," Jenny corrected habitually, stopping and leaning forward to kiss Noemi's cheek. She bit her lip and smiled gently, placing her hand on Noemi's shoulder. "Hi, Noemi, _c__ó__mo est__á__s_?"

"_Bien_, _bien_," she answered warmly. "I just watering my new flowers," she added, beaming.

"The ones Daddy was planting the other day?"

"_Si_," Noemi said. "He plant me orchids, national flower of Honduras," she said. "I not think they survive the winter here, but right now – very beautiful!"

Jenny bit her lip, tilting her head – so that's where all the peonies had gone. It struck her as a little odd, though. Her father had always seemed manically concerned about the healthy state of those damn peonies.

"The babies are good?" Noemi asked.

Jenny nodded proudly.

"Happy and healthy," she agreed. "I want to come see those flowers after I talk to Dad," she said, indicating that she was going to go in.

"Jenny," Noemi said quickly, turning. "I warn you, Senora Shepard here," she revealed bluntly.

Jenny paused, and looked back at her, staring. She didn't understand how her luck could be that poor – but then, she had chosen to show up without calling, and her dad probably thought she was cutting him out for a while.

"Don't call her that," Jenny said, choosing not to react to the other statement. "Noemi – "

"Miss Jenny," Noemi interrupted politely. "She still that, for now," she said logically. She looked at the redhead she'd half-raised for a moment, and she smiled. She leaned forward. "She scared of you, I think," she added. "Jasper bring you up, she get angry," Noemi whirled her finger around her ear. "_Loca_."

Jenny smiled a little. She winked at Noemi, and then braced herself – at least she had a warning; at least she wasn't going to walk in to this house and be blindsided by the presence of the Wicked Witch of the West.

She opened the door and walked in, leaving her purse on the hall table, along with her keys, and slipping off her shoes – it occurred to her suddenly that if she showed how comfortable she was in this house, she might have more power.

She shut the door somewhat loudly, and her father looked up from the study desk. She approached the study, and a bleach blonde came into view, lounging lazily on the leather sofa in platform heels and a tight, designer dress.

She lifted her chin as Jenny stopped in the doorway, and Jasper bent his head, rubbing his temple.

Jenny waited a moment, and then she leaned against the wooden frame, pointedly not looking at Kimberly Shepard.

"I should have called, Dad," she said neutrally.

He looked up, and held his hand out.

"You don't ever have to call before you come over here," he said shortly, though she figured the irritation was not targeted at her. He took a deep breath. "You give me a minute, and I'll get her gone," he said flatly, jerking his thumb at Kimberly.

Jenny lifted one shoulder.

"Don't bother," she said. "I don't mind her hearing a damn thing I say."

Jasper leaned back. He put his hand out.

"You want to sit down?" he asked warily.

Jenny shook her head – not for the moment.

Kimberly swung her feet off the couch, crossing her legs and sitting forward. She tossed her hair back and rested her chin on her knuckles, looking at Jenny as if she were appraising a rival in a beauty pageant. Jenny felt the gaze, but ignored her.

"What is she doing here?" Jenny asked coolly.

"Negotiating," Kimberly said breezily. "Your father thinks he wants a divorce," she added, winking.

Jenny ignored her again.

Her father inclined his head, confirming what his estranged wife had said.

"I mean what I told you, Jennifer," he said gruffly. "I contacted her to get her signature. She wasn't invited here."

"He thought, for some reason, I'd sign away our arrangement without a peep."

"I'm sure that was an easy assumption for him, since you hit the road twenty-three years ago," Jenny said, an air of sarcastic pleasantry to her tone.

She turned her eyes on her mother for the first time, meeting eyes that, if it weren't for the purple contacts, would be as green as hers. She looked at a face that, save for the caked make-up, the glittery lashes, the ostentatious blush, mirrored her own, and studied dyed hair that was surely identically red underneath.

"What arrangement is that, Kimberly?" she asked, very coldly. "You, exploiting the success of a man worth one hundred of you to manage your – hepatitis?" she guessed viciously. "Venereal disease?"

Jasper sat back, rubbing his jaw.

"Jennifer," he muttered tensely.

The door opened in the hall, and Jenny heard Noemi come in quietly and go into the kitchen. Jenny shot him a glance for his admonishment, and then looked back at Kimberly with contempt.

"Why the fuck are you here?" she asked bluntly, her tone icy and unfeeling.

The blonde arched her drawn on eyebrows, and clicked her tongue.

"And I thought leaving you with my parents would be better," she said primly, glancing at Jasper. "You'll let her talk to me that way?" she asked pettily.

Jasper spread out his hands as if he were granting Jenny a wish.

"She's been waiting a long time," he said dully.

Jenny did not quite stop.

"Did you think you'd waltz back into our lives and we'd be stunned with shock, struck with rabid curiosity over you? Did you think we spent twenty years giving a damn?"

Kimberly leaned back, smirking a little.

"You don't know your father very well, Jennifer," she said tightly. "We've always been an epic."

"You've been gone, and he's found someone better," Jenny said quietly. Her father didn't break in, and she went on. "You thought wrong if you interpreted his contact as a desperate attempt to get you back."

Kimberly licked her lips.

"No one ever taught you to live in the moment," she snapped flippantly. "Bitter women never recommended themselves well."

Despite Kimberly's wild and untamable nature, her dangerous decision-making and careless attitude, it was clear she'd been raised rich; the way she spoke gave away her finishing school upbringing.

"Neither did selfish, uncouth bitches," Jenny retorted.

"Is that any way to talk to your mother?" Kimberly asked sarcastically.

Jenny raised her shoulders.

"My mother?" she asked. "Abigail Morgan died when I was twelve – you must have been … spread-eagle on your back, at that point? Taking direction from some mustached piece of shit while a sweaty porn star pulled your hair? And Noemi Cruz, she still has a hug for me when I drop by here, still gives me remedies for aches and pains – she even helped me take care of my baby, when my husband deployed," Jenny said icily.

Her father turned his head to the side, wincing. He hadn't exactly enjoyed the graphic description, but he hadn't seen fit to intervene yet.

Kimberly's eyes widened, and she stood up.

"_Noemi_ _Cruz_?" she said, half-laughing. She turned to Jasper. "Is that simple _spic_ the little number you think is worth getting rid of _me_?" she asked.

Jasper's eyes widened and he stood up.

"Kimberly, so help me God – "

"You told me you were getting married again – I thought you had more interesting taste than the goddamn housekeeper – I thought I was facing some sort of _threat_," she sneered. "Get yourself together, Perry – you know it was always going to be you and me in the end – "

Jenny lunged forward, suddenly struck with rage she wasn't quite prepared for, and she grabbed the woman and yanked her back, coming toe to toe with her.

"You are facing a very real threat," she snarled aggressively, "one you never saw coming – more interesting taste? Noemi is a hundred times the woman you will ever be, and if you thought for a second you'd sow your wild oats and settle back down here as the famed General's wife – "

Kimberly snapped her arm out of Jenny's and bared her teeth in a defiant sort of smile.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," she growled. "You're a child."

"I am not six years old any more you – you selfish _fucking_ cunt!"

"Jennifer!" barked Jasper, leaning forward on his desk. His palms slammed into the wood, and he looked at Kimberly. "She's right," he said tensely. "You never would have been welcomed back here – "

They all heard a door shut loudly, and Jenny winced, her chest tightening – Noemi had been in the kitchen, and she might have heard Jenny defend her, but Jasper hadn't said much.

"You really think you got me out of your system?" shouted Kimberly skeptically. "You remember how it was before her," Kimberly pointed at Jenny sharply. "Before she was born and you turned into this … unrecognizable _soldier_, all serious, all Jennifer _this_, _Jennifer_ that – "

"God forbid he get it together so he can provide for his daughter, like a – like a goddamn human being - !" Jenny interrupted loudly.

"He was all about you, all the time – we didn't have to stop living just because we had a fucking baby – "

"No, Kimberly, but we had to fucking grow up!" The General bellowed, silencing the women. He looked at her, incensed, and Jenny stepped back – he looked angrier, possibly, than she'd ever seen him.

Kimberly gnashed her teeth, and he held his hand out, pointing at her like he was accusing her.

"You thought it would be fun," he barked. "You spew all this _shit_ about not wanting a baby in the first place, but you wanted her," he revealed. "You wanted her, and you wanted me, and you didn't think for a second it might be hard to be a parent – you dind't think you'd have to change – you wanted a goddamn baby shower, and you wanted attention, and you didn't think further than picking a fucking name."

Jenny stepped back again, closing her mouth, swallowing hard. She turned her head to watch Kimberly's reaction. Kimberly folded her arms tightly, protectively around herself, looking sour.

"I didn't miss a goddamn thing, no matter how often I was deployed," he yelled. "You neglected her, you treated her like an accessory, you pawned her off on anyone who would take her – "

"I was nineteen years old, I didn't know what to do half the time – "

"Nineteen or not, you know better than to leave a one-year-old alone in a kiddie pool while you curl your hair and smoke pot upstairs!" he shouted.

Jenny arched her eyebrows. She didn't know whether to laugh, or have an existential crisis – had her mother really done that to her?

Kimberly bit her lip.

"Nothing happened to her, she was fine!"

"WHAT IF I HADN'T COME HOME, AND SHE HAD DROWNED?"

"She didn't fucking drown! She's standing right there like a high and mighty fucking saint," Kimberly snarled, pointing at Jenny, "acting like she's never been stressed out or fucking scared or – well she's exactly like you, Jasper, honorable and completely unable to understand people who don't make completely selfless," she broke off – and then turned to Jenny. "You have kids, don't you, you little brat?" she snapped. "You never wanted to get away form them for a second, for one of them to just shut the fuck up and leave you alone for some peace – "

"I never for a second wanted to get away from my daughters for more than twenty years!" Jenny retorted loudly, stepping forward aggressively. "My girls are my life, when I chose to have them, I chose to make sacrifices – I love them, and all the stress, all the annoyances, they're _worth_ it because I _wanted_ them – "

"You sound like a goddamn after school special," Kimberly hissed, writing her off. She turned back to Jasper. "Why are you bringing all this shit up now? I don't remember you giving a damn when she was little – when you were head over heels for me, and claiming all your work was for me, me and Jenny – why are we having this fight _now_?"

"You came back!" shouted Jasper. He slammed a fist on the desk. "Because I love her," he said, gesturing at Jenny, "and after a lifetime of her hearing me try to defend you, or mitigate what you did, it's about time she heard me say all this!"

Jenny swallowed hard.

Jasper held up two fingers.

"Two years ago, my first granddaughter was born," he barked. "And after that, Jennifer worked a full time job – until she started law school, and balanced a part time job with education and a baby – and damned if she didn't have time for her husband, too," he snarled. He grit his teeth, and kept going, his face read – catharsis, it looked like. "I have watched her struggle to make sure she never raises a hand to her daughters, or snaps a cruel, mean insult to them – she sold a car she loved, she turned down a job opportunity in Italy, she makes less money than she's worth so she can be available for Anna and Kate," he took a breath, "and it wasn't until I saw her work, her sacrifice as a mother that I realized what a piece of shit you are for abandoning her."

Kimberly ran her hands through her hair.

"I did her a favor, then!" she yelled sarcastically. "Didn't I? I left her with good, stable, boring, responsible people – perfect Mrs. and Mr. Morgan – and I left her with you, and I made my sacrifice, she never had to deal with my attitude and my personality. That's a sacrifice, isn't it? I stayed away so she wouldn't be as fucked up as I was!"

The door opened, and Jenny vaguely noticed her father straighten up and look wary, but she was too provoked to turn and look.

"There's no excuse for you!" Jenny burst out, her eyes stinging suddenly. "Your parents – my grandparents – they were amazing people, moral people – good people! Your only problem with them was a misguided, immature need to shock people and be … some … caricature of a tortured Fitzgerald character!"

The General was staring at whoever had come in with annoyance, but Jenny kept going.

"I was better off without you," she snarled. "I was infinitely better off without you in my life, and I wouldn't trade Dad or Grandmother or Grandfather for anything you could possibly offer – but if you think you were a hero for leaving, for being too weak to grow up, for abandoning me – if you think that didn't fuck me up – me knowing my whole life you hated me so much that you – needed a break," she growled nastily, "then you're scum. You're delusional! "

Jenny swallowed, and pushed her hair back.

"_Mommy needs a break from you_," she mimicked, her tone high pitched. "You didn't even have the common decency to just fucking leave me, you had to let me know I ruined your life, it was all my fault – "

"How do you remember that?" Kimberly asked, her hands near her ears. "You were four, for fucks' sake – "

"I was _six years old_, you _stupid_ fucking cunt!"

"Jennifer, the C word – " Jasper began in a pained voice.

"It's necessary," she said coldly.

A hand touched her shoulder, and she turned, startled.

"Jethro?" she asked hoarsely, feeling like someone had sucker punched her in the gut.

Jasper's shoulders sagged a little. She stood there staring at her husband.

"What the hell – Anna? Katharyn?" she asked. "You didn't – "

"Noemi came over," he said gruffly. "She's watchin' them," he paused, and surveyed the scene. "She told me you would need me here."

"What a fucking fairytale," Kimberly snarled, folding her arms again. She swallowed bitterly, and looked back at Jasper, her back suddenly on Jenny and Gibbs.

Jenny turned her back, too, covering her face a moment. She bit her lip hard, and Gibbs put his arm around his shoulders.

"Want to go?" he asked softly.

"No," she said hoarsely. She shook her head, her jaw tight. "I can't cry in front of her," she hissed, frustrated.

He rubbed his thumb along her jaw, and looked up at the General. Jasper clenched his fists on the desk.

"You came here because you wanted attention; you wanted to be the center of some chaos and drama," Jasper snapped. "This isn't Jerry Springer, Kim. This is my family. You gave this up. You walked out. And it took me a long time to stop trying to excuse you – you haven't changed," he pointed out hoarsely. "You're standing here, the same nineteen year old. If you were any different, I might believe it was just youth, and then shame, but that's not it," he said dully. "I can't forgive you. I'm only sorry I didn't do this sooner."

He put his hand on his jaw, ran his fingers through his hair tightly. He held his palm out towards Jenny.

"You can stand here, and tell me to my face, that it wasn't her who brought you back?" he began, inquiring. "You didn't have questions about her, until I berated you for it – you didn't come back for her, to even try to reach out, to know her?" he demanded. "Of all the things that motivated you to get on a plane – was Jennifer one of them?"

Gibbs looked over his wife's shoulder, eyes on Kimberly. She opened her mouth, and folded her arms defiantly. She shrugged at Jasper.

"No," she said coldly, and then she swallowed. "Does it matter?" She shrugged again, harshly. "She doesn't give a shit."

Jenny turned.

"You don't get it," she said hoarsely. "I _did_ give a shit," she admitted finally, her eyes red, wet. "I asked them when you were coming back. I asked Dad when you were coming back. And when I quit asking, I wondered, and I hoped. That you'd remember you loved me, and you made a mistake, and you'd come back and tell me you were sorry and it wasn't my fault. And then I woke up one day," she paused, swallowed hard, "and I understood. I started to hate you," she said, pausing.

She took a deep breath, and smiled a little; a sad, defeated smile.

"I hate you," she said. "I want nothing to do with you," she went on steadily. "I do not want you near my babies, or my husband, or my father. I want you to rot in the California decadence that was so much more important than me. And I want you to feel betrayed, and abandoned, and rejected. And in the back of your mind, for the rest of your life, I want you to know there's a woman in the world who you will never be good enough for," she swallowed hard again. "I want you to feel … just like I did."

Gibbs pressed his palm against Jenny's neck, and she stared at Kimberly for a moment. Then, she looked at her father, brushed Gibbs' hands off her gently, and left the room, her hands running tensely back through her hair.

She went up the stairs, but none of them heard her footsteps, none of them heard a door shut.

Gibbs folded his arms, his jaw tense. He had never – and Jasper hadn't either, he knew – ever heard Jenny reveal how she really felt about Kimberly's departure; she had always played it cold, uncaring – and to hear what she'd just said, to know how much it had deeply, infinitely hurt her, made him angry enough to kill the woman standing in front of him – and if that was his reaction, he knew he shouldn't leave Jasper alone with Kimberly.

"You won't get anything from me, Kim," Jasper said with finality. "I'm done negotiating."

"You think the army will like hearing how I exploited their policy all these years?" she threatened nastily, half-heartedly.

Jasper grit his teeth.

Gibbs shrugged lazily.

"I think the FBI might like hearin' about your film producer boyfriend's connection to a Mexican drug cartel," he said coolly.

The General looked at him, a little surprised, and Gibbs kept a hard eye on Kimberly.

"Guys over at the Hoover building, they been after the Reynosas a long time," he went on with practiced nonchalance. "Think they'd be interested in meeting the woman who sleeps with Pedro Hernandez."

The General raised his eyebrows mildly, and watched as Kimberly struggled. She bit her lip, and turned to look at her estranged husband, and then she was snatching her designer purse off the couch and grabbing sunglasses, her hands shaking as she reached for a high-tech phone.

"I'll sign the papers," she said tensely. "Malibu – you know the address," she added sarcastically.

She stormed out, platforms snapping on the hardwood floor, and when she touched the door, she turned.

Jenny sat on the top stair, watching her coldly, her eyes red, inflamed, hard. The blonde looked at her, blinked her purple, glittery eyes.

"You were better off," she said harshly. "You _were_," she added, almost earnestly – and for a second, Jenny swore she saw defeat, remorse, in her mother's eyes – but she ignored it.

She didn't care.

"I know," she said coldly.

The General stormed out to see that Kimberly left, and Gibbs followed him, coming up the stairs to sit next to Jenny. He sat down next to her, and while her father was on the porch glaring Kimberly down, Jenny bowed her head towards Gibbs and started to cry.

He slung an arm around her, waiting for the General to return.

Her father shut the door, and stood on the small landing, hesitant.

"Jennifer," he said gruffly.

Gibbs nudged her a little, and she got up, flying down the stairs.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," she cried, pressing her lips to his cheek. "I was angry – I didn't mean what I said, about my life being ruined," she mumbled quickly, pulling back. She pushed her hair back. "She showed up, and she just … she's worse than I imagined," she said, choking on her words.

"She's worse than I remembered," he said dryly, a defeated look on his face.

He put his arms around Jenny, hugging her to him. He kissed the top of her head paternally – there was no bad blood on his part – and he caught Gibbs' eye.

"Is Noemi okay?"

"She was fine," Gibbs answered gruffly.

Noemi had come over and tasked him with mediating at the brownstone. She had seemed a little worried, but not upset – Noemi was always calm, always blithe and levelheaded. He'd wasted no time handing off the kids and heading over.

Jasper looked troubled, but Jenny stepped back, leaning against the banister heavily, her shoulders sagging. Her father rubbed his jaw.

"Jennifer," he said. "I," he paused, frustrated. "I should've told you it was serious with Noemi, I should have told you I was goin' to ask her for a divorce," he said in a rush. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

She nodded; she understood that, but she was wiped out emotionally.

She took a deep breath, and straightened a little, glancing at Gibbs.

"Dad," she began. "Why … did you tear up the peonies?"

He looked taken aback, and then cleared his throat.

"Because they were Kim's," he said bluntly. "Peonies, her bridal bouquet," he said.

Jenny nodded – she had thought that might be the case, once she realized how brutally he'd ripped them up, and that he'd replaced them with flowers special to Noemi. It felt good, hearing him say that – that he understood, now, why she'd always hated her mother so much; it felt good, to know he was moving on, getting it right.

"Jennifer," he said, and then looked up at Gibbs. "Jethro," he paused. "You two mind if we three talk about this, put it behind us?"

Gibbs nodded, waiting for Jenny to answer. She hesitated.

"Figure I can call Noemi, have her bring the kids over later, when we've got it squared away – grill out, catch some fireflies?"

Jenny looked up at him, and smiled tiredly. She nodded – that sounded good; it was definitely a relief to have him finally include Noemi like she should be. God – if her father didn't define the old dogs – new tricks maxim, she didn't know who did.

He cleared his throat.

"Where do you want to start?"

Jenny pushed her hair back, her mind buzzing, and she smirked a little, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

"Ah," she sighed. "Have you and Noemi set a date?"

Her father looked at her in surprise, and Gibbs snorted. Jenny smiled a little, and ignored the sheepish look she got from her father. He gave her a look, and indicated they should all go into the study.

Gibbs caught up to her, and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Heard that crack about Fitzgerald," he muttered, remembering when she'd first told him a little about her mother – ten years ago, in his Quantico apartment.

Jenny sighed, exhausted.

"You know how many girls I went to high school with who read Gatsby, and thought she was some fantasy to achieve?"

She shook her head.

"Daisy Buchanan," she muttered bitterly.

Gibbs kissed her jaw, and pulled out a chair for her in the study – he'd told the General he understood the infatuation he'd had with Kimberly, and maybe, in a way, he did – but Shannon had never been as heartless and selfish. He was glad she was gone, and gone for good.

Jenny leaned forward, reaching for a proffered tumbler of scotch from her father, and she smiled at him a little – she felt drained, and hollow, but she felt some kind of relief, too; when she'd first been ambushed earlier, she'd thought so much was about to fall apart, about to become a soap opera of an estranged mother forcing herself back in – she'd thought even seeing the woman, in the flesh, again would rattle her too much to fix.

Rather, she felt like the haunting specter of a woman – a girl, really – who'd plagued her since she was six-years-old was finally eradicated; she had been extracted, and Jenny knew, without doubt, that she had no interest in her, that she hadn't missed out, and that all those years, when she'd told herself she was better off – she'd been right.

Kimberly Morgan had given Jenny nothing but her biological life and her name; everything since had been the hard work and unwavering love and support of Jasper Shepard – and she wouldn't change it.

She thought of her father, and her grandparents, and Anna, and Katharyn, and Jethro – always Jethro – and she knew Kimberly was irrelevant; she didn't matter. Jasper would get his divorce, and that nineteen-year-old girl was gone for good and Jenny, for all her fears, had turned out nothing like her.

* * *

_Summer 2019_

* * *

_-alexandra_


	5. Epilogue

.

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Washington, D.C._  
_April, 2020_

* * *

In the familiar backyard, of a familiar house in a familiar city, a redhead knelt before two little girls, her hands steady, her eyes focused in concentration as she made sure two pairs of pastel blue Mary Janes were buckled tightly. She adjusted the frills on tiny socks, and straightened the hems of two snowy white spring dresses, and then she sat back on her heels, reaching up to straighten one baby's breath and orchid flower crown, and then another.

It was a perfectly sunny, temperately balmy Saturday afternoon in April. She had just recently turned thirty years old, and she had just yesterday gotten back from a short, holiday trip to Stillwater – sans husband, because he'd been tied down with a massive case at work.

"Anna," she said softly, pushing some loose curls back and tucking them into her oldest daughter's flower crown. "You make sure to hold sissy's hand, okay?"

"But," Anna protested earnestly. "How'm throw flowers if Katty has one hand?"

Her little face puckered with concern, and Jenny grinned, touching her lightly on the nose.

"Katharyn will help you throw," she said. She gestured for them to hold hands. Then, she showed the girls how to hold their clasped hands at an angle, and let the delicate little blue knit basket full of petals rest there. "See?" she instructed, showing them how they could hold hands, balance the basket and each use their other hand to scatter flowers.

Anna beamed, and Katharyn giggled.

"You walk slow and pretty," Jenny added, "I know you don't want Katharyn to fall trying to keep up."

Katharyn had only very recently started walking, and because of it, Noemi had asked if she could be in the wedding, too. Since it was a very small, backyard, family affair, Jenny didn't mind.

"Mama," Katharyn said, twirling her skirt a little. "Mama, _pwetty_!"

"Yes," Jenny laughed. "You both look very pretty!"

She looked up as her husband approached and cast a shadow over them. He smiled at both girls, and cleared his throat at Jenny. She nodded, and grasped their shoulders lightly, standing up.

Gibbs kissed her cheek lightly.

"You look gorgeous," he muttered gruffly, and she touched her hair anxiously, worried about the wind.

"Swear it," she murmured back. "I can't look like a hag, Jethro, you only see your father get married once."

He laughed a little.

"Don't worry, Jen," he teased. "Everyone's looking at the bride."

"Get up there," she responded, shoving him playfully up towards her father.

Gibbs himself had made the simple, wooden arch – covered in Noemi's native flowers – that he now went to stand under with the General. With them stood the Army chaplain Jasper Shepard had known since his Desert Storm days.

The only guests were Jenny and her family, Noemi's grandmother and nephew, and her nephew's little girl, and a couple of Jasper's long-time Army buddies. It really was the smallest affair imaginable – Jasper wouldn't have had it any other way – and it was fitting.

Jenny glanced behind her to see Noemi peeking out from the side of the house, and she crouched down to talk to the girls again.

"You walk slow," she encouraged. "Smile, and when you get to the front, go sit down at Daddy's feet," she told them. "You can keep any flowers that are left, but don't be stingy!"

Anna giggled at her, and Katharyn swirled her skirt again.

Jenny stood, making sure her own simple, cotton blue dress was situated, and she put the girls in position. She stepped back and took Noemi's arm, waiting for one of her father's friends to play the music they had on an old record player for the occasion.

It started, and Jenny gave her daughters amused looks when they just stood there.

"Strut, Princesses!" she whispered dramatically, and Anna jumped, tugging helpfully on Katharyn – the two began a slow, adorable waltz down the makeshift aisle, scattering petals everywhere.

With their little white dresses, blue shoes, and blue sashes, they looked like something out of _The Sound of Music_, and Jenny was already eager for pictures.

"They so precious, Jenny," Noemi whispered to her, patting her arm. "I will start calling them mine," she laughed quietly. "Between me and Jasper, you never get them back!"

Jenny smiled, squeezing Noemi's hand and keeping one eye on the girls.

"You've always helped me so much," she said, remembering when she'd first had Anna, and Gibbs had been deployed. "They love you as much as I do, you know."

Noemi flushed, and Jenny grinned at her, still waiting for the girls to reach Gibbs. She wasn't to start down the aisle with Noemi until they were safely situated at their father's feet – she was still a little taken aback, though flattered, that Noemi had asked her to do the honors.

She'd assumed Noemi's nephew would do it, but Noemi had quietly insisted she would prefer it if she was escorted by Jenny, as a blessing. Jenny had agreed readily.

Her father, after all, had traditionally done the same for her.

"You ready, Noemi?" she asked happily.

Noemi smiled brightly, her nose crinkling.

"I never more ready for anything," she gushed, and Jenny laughed, starting down the aisle as the music changed.

It had been a hectic ten months since the Kimberly Affair – as they had taken to calling it. There had been Katharyn's first birthday, a catastrophe in the Middle East that sent all federal agencies into overdrive and resulted in the General being deployed to Yemen for an agonizing five months, and Jenny's load at law school had only gotten more demanding.

She had ended up taking Gibbs' advice, and with his blessing, bowed out of her NCIS job to focus on the kids and her juris doctorate. The single paycheck had sometimes left them a little worried, but she'd been much more able to handle things without getting so harried.

The General's divorce had come through in October while he was in Yemen, and he'd returned in late January and then Noemi had picked an April, after Easter wedding – in blue and white and faint scatters of purple.

Jenny hadn't looked forward to something so much since the birth of her second daughter.

She was smiling contently as she handed Noemi off to her father and stepped demurely to the side. The chaplain started the religiously neutral ceremony – Noemi was Catholic, but opted out of a Mass for her wedding – and Jenny leaned into Gibbs, alternately watching and glancing down at the girls.

Gibbs kept nudging Anna gently with his foot.

"Jethro, you're going to get that white dress dirty," she admonished in a low voice.

"She's eatin' the damn flowers," Gibbs retorted.

Jenny looked, and then crouched down, just in time to catch Anna trying to shove a flower petal into her sister's mouth. She snatched her hand swiftly and held it, putting her lips close to the toddler's ear.

"No, ma'am," she whispered. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Honey-sowkle!"

"It's not a honeysuckle, sweetheart," Jenny admonished, shaking her head.

Katharyn grabbed a handful of flower petals and put them in her mouth. She made a sour face, and spit them out.

"Oh my god," Jenny muttered to herself, unsure if she should be amused or appalled.

She gave Anna one final look, and then picked up Katharyn. She stood, and handed her to Gibbs, silently insisting he get the rest of the petals out of her mouth. Gibbs gave her a whiny look, and she gave him an annoyed one.

Anna looked up at them, apologetic, and then stood up. She wandered over to her grandfather and twirled her dress, leaning against his knee.

"Anna _Abigayle_," hissed Jenny.

Jasper rested his hand on Anna's head though, and shook his head mildly, hardly distracted. He smiled a little, fine with her there, and continued through his vows. Noemi, quick to follow, gave a little wave to Anna as she said hers.

"By the power invested in me by the United States Army and the State of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the chaplain said gruffly. "You may now kiss the bride."

Before moving to kiss Jasper, though, Noemi crouched down.

"You will hold this for me?" she asked, handing her bouquet to Anna. "You may keep it!" she coaxed.

Anna beamed, and nodded politely, taking it very gingerly. Noemi straightened, and kissed Jenny's father chastely but sincerely, breaking away with possibly the biggest smile Jenny had ever seen on her face.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Jasper Shepard, and Mrs. Noemi Cruz Shepard."

Jenny burst into applause – louder than anyone else – and distinctly felt like she was some movie character who'd just seen her favorite couple get together after years and years of resistance. She grinned, and turned to Gibbs, her brows going up.

He smiled at her, glad to see her happy and relaxed – things were coming together for her beautifully at the moment; her classes at law school were winding down – she only had to take two in the summer semester, and she'd graduate with her law degree in August. He was second in charge at NCIS, and the girls were anything but trouble.

The General swept Anna up into his arms and she giggled, waving the bouquet she'd been given around like it was pure gold, a revered trophy of the Gods. Jasper grinned, and carried her over to her parents.

Jenny stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, squeezing his shoulder tightly.

"To think, this took you nearly fifteen years," she said, betraying how long she'd known he was _actually_ shacking up with Noemi behind her back. "I could have had siblings."

Jasper laughed warily, and Noemi shook her head, her eyes bright.

"You like my daughter, Jenny," she said warmly.

Jenny smiled, her breath catching a little.

"Thank you, Noemi," she said softly. "Nothing makes me happier than acknowledging you as a mother."

Gibbs grinned, and looked at Katharyn, making a happy face at her. Anna sat up in her grandfather's arms, and Jenny looked around, not wanting to keep the new couple to herself too long.

Noemi smiled at Anna wryly. She pointed to the bouquet.

"You next, _chiquita_," she cooed.

Gibbs turned a ferocious glare on her, and Jenny laughed, catching Noemi's eye.

She stood in this familiar backyard of this familiar house, in a familiar city, and she was glad her father finally realized what he wanted, and glad of everything he'd done because he'd worked for and wanted her.

* * *

_April 2020_

* * *

_The end!_


End file.
